David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This year's budget is delivering a really significant investment in local roads and community infrastructure both in my electorate and across the nation. The budget announced a further tranche of funding for the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, which will deliver $15 million in additional funding to assist local councils in the Lyne electorate so that they can undertake important community projects.

I have five local governments represented in my electorate of Lyne. To this time $36 million has been available under this program. Partnering with councils and delivering stuff that people have really been clamouring for for a long time is really rewarding, whether it's town beautification, pool upgrades, local roads, cycleways—even footpaths in high-traffic areas around schools, where pedestrian safety, crossings and all those sorts of things can finally be delivered.

In Port Macquarie-Hastings and the Camden Haven I was very pleased to work with Peta Pinson, the local mayor, to initiate upgrades at the Lake Cathie Foreshore, Telegraph Point, Kendall, Comboyne and to help fund the beach-to-beach shared pathway. Also, new sporting facilities for Laurieton and Lake Cathie and safety pathways in Beechwood, Wauchope and Comboyne. The tennis club in the amazing Kendall district, which is going from to strength to strength, will now be able to completely fund a new tennis court.

Mayor David West from MidCoast Council and I were really pleased to finally fund the long-awaited Wingham main street upgrade, as well as the Tuncurry water park and a new performance space for the Manning Entertainment Centre, which is a cultural hub in the Manning-Great Lakes. There are also town beautification works in Wingham and Taree, and in Tea Gardens some upgrades to the disability access and general access to the pool. Gloucester netball courts and the Gloucester recreation grounds will now benefit from upgrades. The Allworth riverside reserve will get a much needed upgrade so that their wharf area will be usable. Park and recreation improvements at Old Bar, Pacific Palms, Bulahdelah, Tuncurry and Hawks Nest will all be funded. Harrington Men's Shed and Harrington Little Athletics are getting facility upgrades.

I was really pleased to work with John Connors, the Mayor of Dungog, to announce extra funds to contribute to the new Dungog Library extension. It will now, finally, be fully funded with these additional funds. Bennett Park is where Doug Walters hit his first six as a young man. The upgrades in drainage and surface water will mean it will be able to be used so much more, and a new picket-style fence that they've had planned for ages will now become a reality. Likewise, the Clarence Town village green, the school of arts and the Lions park are all receiving funding via council mechanisms as a result of this. The Bridge Reserve will get a new amenities block. The Bridge Reserve is one of the biggest tourist attractions, so it will mean much more economic activity when all those tourists come to the riverside reserve. Martins Creek hall will celebrate its 100th year with getting new access delivered. Paterson and Crestwood schools of arts will get disability access. The very popular John Tucker Park will get shaded playgrounds.

The Bolwarra Sports Complex is an issue that Mayor Loretta Baker and I have been working on for some years. It will now have a new irrigation system for the fields and access paths built. It's also a high-traffic area and on school days it will mean the kids will be able to get into the school via the park by new access pathways. Bolwarra school parents will also be pleased to find that new footpaths for pram and disability access will be finally delivered at the school. Largs school students will also have a safer walk. The amazing views from Bolwarra lookout and the park will be redeveloped, with the resealing of the car park, a new toilet block, barbecue facilities, landscaping and a playground. This will transform this hidden gem, with views across the Hunter River river flats.

Mayor Ryan Palmer and I visited Longworth Park— (Time expired)