It may not be the most pressing matter of state but the coalition government says that, if re-elected, it would provide $250,000 for Bangalow Weir’s restoration and upgrade.
Meanwhile, at nearby Lismore where Page MP Kevin Hogan is sitting on a slim majority, the government has promised $1.4 million towards the redevelopment of Oakes Oval.
Mr Hogan said the redevelopment would boost the economy and attract more sporting competitions to the region.
Funding would include expanding the playing area and grandstands as well as renewing change facilities.
The Bangalow Weir announcement was made on Friday, also by minister Joyce, at the NSW Nationals conference at Tweed Heads.
He said, ‘The Bangalow Weir was once a centrepiece of community activity but has fallen into a state of disrepair that has made it unsafe.’
‘I understand that the Byron Shire Council and the Bangalow Parklands Community Association have been working together to develop designs and a project plan for the restoration and upgrade of the weir to meet current regulatory and safety standards.
‘Matthew Fraser has advocated fiercely for this project, recognising its importance to the local community,’ Mr Joyce said.
Oakes oval to host AFL
Page MP Kevin Hogan said today that the $3 million upgrade of Lismore’s Oakes Oval will help the grounds become ‘northern New South Wales’ premier sports facility, capable of hosting premiership AFL, rugby league, soccer, and rugby union matches’.
‘Upgrading the oval’s spectator and player facilities will have a hugely positive effect on the region. I’m particularly excited that AFL peak bodies have already identified Oakes Oval as a potential venue for high level events,’ Mr Hogan said.
This is a big-ticket redevelopment project, involving an extension of the grandstand roof cover, expanding the on-field playing area to boost spectator capacity and make it suitable for AFL games, replacing the ground’s change rooms and toilet facilities and installing a new electronic scoreboard.
Mr Hogan said a re-elected Coalition government would contribute $1.4 million to the project, with the AFL, Lismore City Council and the Lismore Swans AFL matching the funds in cash or in kind.
‘Already there are talks to play Sheffield Shield cricket and preliminary rounds of the AFL on the new Lismore Oakes Oval.’
‘I congratulate Lismore City Council for its leadership and financial commitment to the project, as well as the AFL and Lismore Swans AFL club which will also contribute to the upgrade.’
More stories on the 2016 federal election
Greens’ Richmond campaign ‘people powered, not fossil fueled’
The record vote by the Greens in Saturday’s federal election in Richmond has encouraged candidate Dawn Walker Greens to keep the ‘Green’ momentum going across the northern rivers.
Thus Spake Mungo: The worm turned, the maggots squirmed
My fearless prediction is that the coalition will end up with between 76 to 78 seats in the House of Representatives, a thin but decisive majority. But this is not the way it was meant to be.
A hung parliament? It may be the best we can hope...
Nearly three years ago, on the eve of the last Federal election, this web site warned that a Tony Abbott-led Coalition government presented a grim outlook for clean energy and climate change, and we warned too that it could be even worse than most people feared.
Elliot, Hogan retain their north coast seats
Incumbent northern rivers MPs Kevin Hogan (Page, Nationals) and Justine Elliot (Richmond, Labor) have retained their seats after a knife-edge federal election result which could see a hung parliament.
A voting guide for dummies
Still haven't made your mind up who to vote for yet? Well, crawl out from whatever rock you've been hiding under and pay some fricking attention. It's really quite simple. Just match your ideology with one of these political parties and away you go.
Hmmmm. This story has the whiff of Sophie Mirabella about it…
GET OVER IT – DO NOT ACCEPT BRIBES
I sincerely hope that the residents of the Northern Rivers are wiser than in the past and recognise that little bribes (for that is truly what these are) given prior to an election are no substitute for real representation over time. The Coalition’s slights and downright insults to our region’s hardworking citizens’ rights are numerous. Everyone here understands that the Nationals no longer represent regional Australia and most assuredly not this particular region. Please please please don’t fall for this old trick. Think hard about your aspirations for our spectacular little corner of the world and vote for the candidate that understands that his/her job is to represent you, not impose party line policies that only serve the party and the big industry power brokers, not the people.
Come on Auzie’s
“Be Really Good Sports”Is The name of the gAim …
“WET WAT ER S PORTS
Q. when is Weirly WATER Weirly WET ?
Bork Parelling
If it was that important, Why TF was this not offered before.
Roads, Roads & other stuff (bridge strengthening mostly) EXCEPT rail transport…
This is the the main reason why I shall vote Green & not the duopoly. But then…………. only 4 candidates:
1 Green, 2 Duopoly & 1 Fed’s god squad.
Grateful for any advise on who to preference after I do the “1” on reps.
Will be interested to see the senate “table cloth”
A lot of money is going to Lismore Base Hospital as parking spaces. All the spending isn’t much good if we don’t have an ‘inclusive’ integrated transport system, not just the odd few buses that take all day to get across the region. Both Labor and the Coalition have cut off rail services over the decades in NSW regional areas, instead of making them more user friendly. We must have a regional body run by the people who need it, nearly everyone, if they knew what is possible, if we employ our locals in a long-term, continual/sustainable manner, instead of having competitive, profiteering large corporations tendering for the position of doing a one-off rip-off deal, at several times the real costs.
With the latest RBTs, and everyone who can’t or shouldn’t be driving, there is a large section of the population that do not have equal access to everything from education, employment, recreation or social engagement, or a choice to avoid the stressful, deadly roads that we are stuck with.