Councils and ratepayers will benefit from an injection of up to $400 000 towards upgrades to playgrounds and parks across the Northern Tablelands if NSW Labor win the election this Saturday.
The commitment matches others made in various electorates around the state in the past week, all offering $400,000 for parks and playgrounds for the electorate. Regardless of the outcome of the seat of the Northern Tablelands, NSW Labor has committed to providing this boost to council’s bottom line.
Councils in the electorate will be able to tap into the funds which will be allocated in July next year and a process will be established for councils to apply for funding following the 2023 State Election.
Yvonne Langenberg, Labor candidate for the Northern Tablelands has welcomed the announcement.
“Green spaces are so important to local communities; they are where people meet and children play.”
“Labor’s commitment to supporting council’s maintenance of these valued areas in our communities not only help council’s budgets but also those who use these recreational facilities”.
The issue of playgrounds is a heated one across the Northern Tablelands, with ongoing debate about the lack of fencing at Curtis Park in Armidale, and recent petitions for new playgrounds in Glen Innes, Inverell, and Giraween.
In an environment where cost shifting has become a burden on our local councils, this commitment from NSW Labor will be good news. However, $400,000 will probably need to be the minimum, given the recently announced funding to upgrade the ageing CWA Playground in Bingara was $285,000.
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