Photo Caption: Member for Parkes Mark Coulton with Gilgandra Shire Council Mayor Doug Batten at the former Target Country building in Gilgandra’s main street, which will be transformed into a community hub and library with a $1.47 million grant under the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF).
The former Target Country building in Gilgandra’s main street will be transformed into a welcoming and modern community hub, thanks to a $1.47 million grant under the Federal Coalition Government’s Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF).
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton, who visited Gilgandra last week, said the precinct will be a terrific drawcard for both Gilgandra locals and visitors to the region.
“’The Gil’ is an exciting initiative which will help to revamp the main street of Gilgandra and attract more visitors to the area,” Mr Coulton said.
“BBRF is all about strengthening the local economy and delivering lasting benefits to local communities such as Gilgandra, and I’m thrilled that under Round 4 the Parkes electorate will benefit from an enormous $18.8 million in grant funding.
“These funds come at a time when the impacts of drought and the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt widely across the electorate, including Gilgandra.
“I know this project will be something that the entire community can get behind and be truly proud of.”
Mr Coulton was joined by Gilgandra Shire Council Mayor Doug Batten to tour the building.
“We thank the Australian Government for investing in the new Gilgandra Library and Community Hub through the Building Better Regions Fund,” Cr Batten said.
“Through this initiative, we will be able to achieve an innovative hub in the heart of Gilgandra.
“The Library and Community Hub project will offer our community access to learning and social connection opportunities that will have significant benefits for our region.
“We are pleased that through the larger space we’ll be in a position to expand the services we currently provide and offer new interactive digital technologies.
“Our community was hit hard by the closure of Target Country in the middle of 2019. This project is such a positive for the community and we are confident it will bring more people to Gilgandra.”
For a full list of successful projects under BBRF Round 4, please visit www.business.gov.au/bbrf