The Central Highlands Regional Council will share in the Palaszczuk Government’s $200M Works for Queensland program, with $2.68M to be injected into local jobs growth.
Central Highlands Mayor Cr Kerry Hayes today welcomed the funding allocation announcement, saying it was a positive step towards improved employment opportunities for rural and regional Queenslanders.
‘Council is one of the region’s major employers, so it makes sense for us to be a part of any good job creation program,’ he said.
‘By focusing on local grassroots projects, this program will really make a difference to our community and the people who need it most. It’s a really innovative initiative and we look forward to working with the state government and the community to ensure this funding is put to good use.’
Cr Hayes said council would now get to work identifying potential maintenance and minor infrastructure projects that fit the criteria.
Nominated projects are to be submitted by early next month. All projects are then expected to be completed by the end of November 2017.
Deputy Premier and Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Minister Jackie Trad yesterday announced funding allocations for 65 regional councils under the program, with Central Queensland securing $22.66M.
Each eligible council receives a base allocation of $1M, with an additional notional allocation based on unemployment data and population.
The Works for Queensland Program is part of the State Infrastructure Fund.