Federal MP criticises Sturt Reserve funding delay
A plan for a play precinct on Murray Bridge’s riverfront hasn’t seen much movement lately, and MP Tony Pasin says he knows why.
A riverfront play precinct at Murray Bridge’s Sturt Reserve, and other proposals across regional Australia, are “starving” for a lack of federal funds, MP Tony Pasin says.
The Member for Barker said communities across his electorate were suffering through a funding drought due to the federal government’s failure to allocate grants for much needed community infrastructure projects.
Mr Pasin said that lots of work had gone into multiple proposals for economic development funding, including the Murray Bridge council’s plans for Sturt Reserve.
A master plan includes features such as a climbing wall, sculptures, towers and water and sand play.
After more than nine months since the Growing Regions Program opened, not one application had been approved and funded, Mr Pasin said.
The program will provide grants of between $500,000 and $15 million to local government entities and incorporated not-for-profit organisations for large-scale investments that deliver community and economic infrastructure projects across regional and rural Australia.
Mr Pasin said numerous organisations across Barker had worked hard to develop proposals for Commonwealth funding, but had been left waiting for months to hear the outcome of their applications.
Stories create community. Help Murray Bridge News tell our community’s stories by subscribing today.
