The Hunter River Times

BY JEM ANSHAW

A recent funding boost to Upper Hunter Shire Council’s Scone main street revitalisation means the project can finally get started.

Mayor Maurice Collison said while council had already got together most of the funding, there was no point in starting the project unless they were able to do all the work required.

“We have been fighting hard with the Federal Government for quite a long time and that is why the project hasn’t started, because it’s going to cost around $20 million, round figures, to do the project,” he told The Hunter River Times.

“There might have been 11 or 12 million in the kitty, but where is the point in half doing it.”

Cr Collison said now that the full funding is there it provides security to put it out to tender and get the ball rolling.

Following the funding announcement at the end of January by deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, we can expect to see the tender advertised in coming months and once a successful applicant is named a full timeline for works will be announced.

“The plans are very, very exciting and that is a big congratulations to the revitalisation committee, which consists of business people and other people around town, they have done a massive amount of work to put a plan on the table

“The town is going to look like a very nice country town with more shrubs and more colour, some angled parking in the CBD, the footpaths, and new road surface and St Albans Street is going to be a green space area, I can’t wait for it.”

The planning has not been without its opposition, and Cr Collison said that while you can’t please everyone he hopes that once the work is complete the community will see the benefits of the design.