Redevelopment of the George Town Waste Transfer Station is just one of a number of projects to get the green light after the budget was handed down at the June 15 council meeting.
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At an estimated cost of $1,080,000, it is the largest project in the 2016-17 capital works plans.
The federal government contributed $350,000 towards the project under Round Two of the National Stronger Regions Program.
It is expected to lead to greater efficiencies in household waste collection services and waste management operations, as well as improve facilities and operational arrangements, encourage the use of recycling and minimise waste to landfill.
Other capital works include road projects worth more than $1.7 million, including Dalrymple Road, Hill Road and Leam Road.
Mayor Bridget Archer said the overall budget focused on projects the community had asked the council to prioritise after consultation over the past 12 months.
“Community consultation has played an important part in setting a postive and proactive budget that has taken the community’s view directly into account, including the need to become more actively involved in economic development, increasing communication with community groups, increasing road works and improving facilities in our smaller towns,” she said.
The council’s general manager John Martin said there are many improvements in the works, and the council is aiming to develop more positivity in the region.
“We’re keen to maintain and improve the community services that we’ve got but there’s $150,00 that we are going to spend on play equipment down near the skate park area... and further down at Windmill Point there is another $150,000 to redevelop that area,” he said.
“We’re also doing some work here on the main street, CCTV cameras are going in shortly and we’ll be looking to try and do some landscape beautification works with private industry over at York Cove.”
To help fund the works, the council has introduced an increase to residential general rates of $30 per property, between 2.9 per cent and 3.5 per cent depending on locality.