The Ararat community is among the major beneficiaries from the Federal Budget with $2.9 million being allocated to Ararat Rural City Council to improve community assets and roads.
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Council will receive these funds through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, which the Federal Budget - released on Monday, May 11 - devoted an additional $1 billion to rural roads.
Ararat Rural City Council chief executive Dr Tim Harrison welcomed the program's continuation.
"The extension of this vital stimulus program ensures that we can continue delivering a jobs-led economic recovery that is driven by investment in local infrastructure upgrades and improvements," he said.
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Dr Harrison said the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program ensured funds would be directed to where they were needed most.
"Too often we see large amounts of government money flowing through the major capital and regional cities with some scraps eventually finding their way here," he said.
"In contrast, this program is based on a needs-based formula that recognises that rural councils maintain a massive rural road network and have a responsibility to invest in infrastructure and services that support all of our towns and communities.
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"As this is untied funding, we have the chance to select the projects where this investment is targeted to ensure local businesses are supported with supply contracts and the community gets the infrastructure it needs."
Ararat Rural City Council received $1,461,358 from phase one of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program on May 22, 2020.
Council then received another $1,285,606 from phase 2, which was announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget.
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