Glen Innes and Tenterfield have been big winners in the Federal Government's Bushfire Local Economic Recovery spending across the New England, Deputy Prime Minister and New England MP Barnaby Joyce said.
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Upgrades to facilities and enhancements to community spaces are on the way for his Electorate, which will see over $31.5 million in Commonwealth and NSW funding going towards Local Economic Recovery projects.
There have been 21 allocations have been approved in the latest round of Bushfire Local Economic Recovery projects under the Local Economic Recovery program.
"I especially welcome the $8.7 million to Glen Innes Severn Council for stage one of the New England Rail Trail from Glen Innes to Ben Lomond," Mr Joyce said.
"The Council will also receive more than $600,000 for the Highlands Business and Community Hub and Programs."
He said Tenterfield is also a "big winner", receiving over $5.7 million to improve the Mt Lindsay Road and over $900,000 to provide a water supply for Tenterfield villages.
"Uralla Shire Council receives $925,000 to refurbish the old Uralla Court House while many of the New England Councils will share in almost $4 million for the Royal Far West Bushfire Recovery Program and over $900,000 for Anglicare's Road to Recovery Program," Mr Joyce added.
Also the Minister Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Mr Joyce said the projects have a focus on drawing people to the region, supporting primary industries to enhance economic and social recovery, create jobs, and improve community resilience for future emergency events.
"All the projects have been put forward by the community, with funding focused on local solutions to local needs.
"These projects have been identified by the people of New England and will make a big difference locally, creating opportunities to increase tourism, employment and economic recovery, as well as building community cohesion and making us more resilient in times of crisis."
They are the latest projects to be announced as part of a joint investment of more than $500 million in Local Economic Recovery, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments to support locally led bushfire recovery initiatives.
Funding for LER projects is just one of the initiatives supported by the Australian Government's National Bushfire Recovery Fund. To date, more than $2.3 billion in Australian Government support has been provided to help bushfire affected communities, including $1.6 billion spent so far from the National Bushfire Recovery Fund.
Over 80 per cent of the available funding has been used to help communities recover from the 2019-20 bushfires.
Details of successful local economic recovery projects in New South Wales - and across other states - are available on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency website.
