Dogged determination to transform and encourage community use of Browns Creek in Taree drives Friends of Browns Creek volunteers.
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Thousands of hours have been invested by a small group of volunteers over five years and this week MidCoast Council wrote a $50,000 cheque to contribute to the ongoing construction of a walkway and exercise trail.
It’s a big cash windfall for the group and volunteers John and Jenny Elcoate, and Helen Hannah say it will fund the next stage of a walkway and exercise trail. It’s a work in progress that starts near the bridge on Railway Parade and currently stops in a corner of Muscio Park. The $50,000 will fund the continued construction of the walkway that is tipped to cost more than $240,000. The long term goal of the group is to create a walkway that will connect to the Manning River Foreshore and its members intend to continue to lobby for local, State and federal government support of the project.
“Without a doubt this creek in the heart of our town is a potential tourist attraction. We have a canoe and kayak launch site and this walkway will enhance its community use and tourism potential.”
The Friends of Browns Creek grant is one of 17 that MidCoast Council recently approved in the first round of the Stronger Communities Grants Program. Over $500,000 was allocated to groups throughout the MidCoast Council area with five of the 17 being in the Manning area.
The other Manning recipients were Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services – $14,200 to fund a coffee cart initiative at Taree Local Court; Flourish Australia – $8186 for Taree Community Garden; Cundletown and Lower Manning Historical Society – $23,385 for its dairy industry pavilion works and Cuddlepie Early Childhood Learning Centre – $21,740 for improvements to its facilities.
MidCoast Council says it received more than 70 applications and “the panel appointed to work through the projects, had an extremely tough job in selecting funding recipients.” The assessment panel included MidCoast Council’s administrator, John Turner, representatives of the offices of local State members, a delegate from the Department of Premier and Cabinet and an independent probity advisor.
Applicants were required to demonstrate their project delivered social, cultural, economic or environmental benefits to the local community and that it addressed an identified need.
The second round of $500,000 in grant funding will be made available in the middle of next year for projects to be undertaken in 2018.