Bushfire recovery projects are continuing in the Inverell shire following delivery of more than a $1 million in Australian Government assistance to council earlier this year.

Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, has welcomed Inverell Shire Council’s update of projects being rolled out under the government’s $1.275 million assistance package to repair and upgrade local infrastructure damaged or compromised in recent bushfire events.

Inverell recovery projects include:

-    Vegetation management – trimming and removing damaged vegetation impacted by the 2020 bushfires (complete);
-    Enhancement of culverts / causeways in the bushfire affected area of Inverell Local Government Area or in high bushfire hazard areas (ongoing);
-    Replacement of Walkers Bridge, a timber bridge on Red Hill Road, Tingha, with new box culvert (construction will be completed in early 2021).

“This is direct investment back into fire-affected areas of the Inverell shire,” Mr Joyce said. 

“Fire destroyed this infrastructure in an instant; rebuilding them will take time but it will happen and we’re working with council to re-establish the roads, bridges and local assets that local people rely on.”

Inverell’s bushfire funding complemented more than $3 million in additional Australian Government assistance provided to council under various hardship payments including $2 million through the Drought Communities Program and $1.4 million announced in May under the Local Road and Community Infrastructure Program – designed to support local jobs and businesses and boost local economies struggling under the effects of COVID-19.

Elsewhere around the shire, the Federal Government has also delivered $2.35 million in funding toward construction of a new centre for Armajun Aboriginal Health Service in Inverell and a further $2.5 million for the recently completed Inverell Regional Livestock Exchange redevelopment.

(ENDS)