John Cobb (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate Parkes and Orange councils on having successful projects named in the recent round of the Stronger Regions Fund. We are very grateful for that. I would also like to point out to those who were unsuccessful, whether councils or other applicants, that it is possible for them to get a total debriefing from the department on why they were not successful and whether perhaps they should try again.

One council and project that very much come under this category are Lithgow City Council, in the east of my electorate, and their Lithgow revitalisation and infrastructure project to increase the services, utilities and surroundings of the centre of Lithgow, which obviously would hugely lift the amount of business done there and the attractiveness of the whole shopping area in the centre of Lithgow. This is a town that is looking to improve. It has lost its coalmining in recent times, and Wallerawang power station has shut down because of the effect of the subsidisation of alternative energy. This is a project that would be good for Lithgow and good for our region.