Rodney Stevens
Clarence Valley Council is set to deliver a record $210 million Capital Works program for the 2023-24 financial year after the region was devastated by floods in 2022.
At the May Clarence Valley Council CVC meeting councillors voted unanimously to endorse council’s Operational Plan, containing a record $208 million in capital works, being put on public exhibition.
As a result of the plan being put on public exhibition, CVC received 30 submissions from the public concerning various issues from funding for netball courts at Yamba and reducing the speed limit on Armidale Road, to objections from Clarence Village residents about sewer charges and requests for a dog park in Yamba or Maclean.
Since councillors endorsed the Operational Plan, the capital works cost has increased by $2 million.
In comparison, CVC’s 2022-23 Capital Works program was valued at $131,872,884 and in the 2021-22 financial year the Capital Works totalled $108,115,000.
At the June 27 CVC meeting Cr Karen Toms moved a motion which was seconded by Cr Deborah Novak and unanimously supported that council:
- Note the public exhibition period submissions contained within the report in summary and attached to the report in full
- Adopt the a. the Operational Plan 2023/2024 – noting Minute 07.23.097 to include $25,000 to ‘engage an independent financial expert to review Council’s current and planned future borrowing capacity including debt service cover ratio and debt ceiling’, taking the deficit to $55,526. b. the Resourcing Strategy incorporating: i. the Long-Term Financial Plan (2023/2024 to 2032/2033) ii. the Workforce Management Strategy (2022/2023-2025/2026) iii. the Asset Management Strategy (2022/2023 – 2031/2032)
- Adopt the 2023/2024 Fees and Charges (Attachment A)
- Delegate authority to the General Manager to make minor amendments to the Integrated Planning and Reporting suite of documents for publishing purposes.
To implement the Capital Works program council has been designing and securing grant funds to deliver an additional 400,000 square metres of regional and local road pavement restoration at a cost of more than $90 million.
With the support of contractors, the Capital Works program is set to deliver the equivalent of 16 years of work on the Valley’s road network in the next two or three years.
Highlights of the Capital Works program include:
$68.2 million in emergency restoration and betterment works for essential public assets damaged by the February 2022 floods (including $25 million for 2024-25).
$38.5 million on water and sewage projects.
$38.4 million on other road and bridge infrastructure projects.
$31 million to community facility and building projects.
$19.97 million for the continual replacement of timber bridges.
$15 million for the Grafton Regional Aquatic Centre.
$13.83 million to demolish Treelands Drive Community Centre and commence construction of the Yamba Community Precinct.
$13.6 million to commence construction of the Maclean Community Precinct.
$9 million for open spaces, sports fields, and holiday park projects, including creating a dedicated team for Town and Village beautification works.
$5.3 million plus for road safety program works around high pedestrian activity areas in Angourie, Brooms head, Iluka, River Street Maclean, Minnie Water and Grafton.