01 FEBRUARY, 2013
Council Agenda item re Pearsons Lookout
ITEM-25 OPER - 04/02/13 - NSW GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR LOCALROADWORKS ROUND 2REPORT FROM: I STEWART – GROUP MANAGER OPERATIONS SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to advise Council of the offer of a second round of funding of $200,000 by the State Member Mr Paul Toole which is to be matched dollar for dollar by Lithgow City Council for Local road works.
COMMENTARY Last year $200,000 in funding was offered to Council to be matched on a dollar for dollar basis for improvements to Councils road network. Advice has been received from the State Member for Bathurst of a second round offunding for $200,000 again to be matched dollar for dollar by Council. In association with the grant the State Member advises that funding has been secured from the RMS to undertake works to improve the access into and out of Pearsons Lookout. However this funding offer was subject to Lithgow City Council providing $50,000 of its own funds to match the $50,000 proposed to be allocated from the $200,000 offer of grant funding.The balance of whatever funding is required to update the access in and out of the site from the highway will be funded by the RMS. In addition it is suggested by the State Member that $30,000 of the $200,000 grant be allocated to the upgrade of the lookout. The offer was also conditional upon Council considering a sum of $30,000 of matched funding from its own sources to do upgrade work to the lookout, ie $30,000 from Lithgow City Council and $30,000 from the $200,000 grant. This will involve further discussion with Council, the RMS and the Department of Lands. It should be noted that Council does not have in its budget an allocation of $50,000 for the access to the lookout nor does it have $30,000 for the upgrade of Pearsons Lookout.Further discussions have been held with the local member, Paul Toole, and he is agreeable to the Council portion to also be funded from this allocation. This would leave $40,000 for Council to allocate in addition to an existing project.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS NIL FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Council may use existing project funding to match this funding allocation. AGENDA - ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL - 4 FEBRUARY 201359
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
As the Department of Lands is the current owner of the land upon which Pearsons Lookout is located, it is not clear at this stage whether this ownership and any associated liabilities will be transferred to Council following completion of the improvement works
ATTACHMENTS1. Correspondence from Member for Bathurst Paul Toole dated 9 January 2013 RECOMMENDATION THAT Council:1. Accept the grant of $200,000 from the NSW State Government for local roadworks;
2. Allocate $60,000 of the funding to the upgrade of Pearson's Lookout,representing $30,000 from Local member Paul Toole and $30,000 from Council.
3. If Department of Lands decline the opportunity to undertake works on Pearson's Lookout the Council complete the works. This shall be on the basis that Council does NOT become responsible for the lookout;
4. Allocate $100,000 of the funding for the upgrade of the access to Pearson's Lookout with works to be completed by the RMS. The funding here is represented by $50,000 from Local member, Paul Toole and $50,000 fromCouncil;
Thank you the local member, Paul Toole, for the funding.
