Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says it will be ‘completely unacceptable’ for the community if the Krauatungalung Walk (KW) project in Lakes Entrance is half-finished by East Gippsland Shire Council.
Mr Chester has written to council and urged it to make an application for funding from the Federal Government’s ‘Growing Regions’ program for the completion of the multi-million dollar project.
While Mr Chester secured $5.8 million from the previous Coalition Government for the project, long delays in construction have resulted in a significant funding shortfall and the southern section along the Cunninghame Arm foreshore is not budgeted for completion within the current allocation.
“It’s great to see work is well underway near the surf club, and extensive design and consultation has been completed on the boardwalk section in front of the houses, which is fully budgeted,” Mr Chester said.
“There is an expectation in the community that an all-abilities circuit will be delivered to fill in the missing links in existing infrastructure, but that is clearly not possible within the current funding envelope.
“It would be completely unacceptable to the community for the job to be half-finished and fail to achieve an all-abilities circuit on the shores of Cunninghame Arm.
“A completed KW circuit will inspire people of all abilities to be more active: locals will be encouraged to use the boardwalk as part of their regular exercise routine, while visitors will be enticed to extend their visit and explore more of Lakes Entrance’s attractions.
“The complete social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits of the KW will only be delivered if the entire project is successfully completed, including additional indigenous public art installations and information signage.”
Mr Chester has urged council to partner with other groups in the region and make an application for funding under the round of Growing Regions, which closes on October 10.
“At this point, council has not committed any funding to the project and has only administered the grants I secured from the Commonwealth, but now is the time for councillors to step up and allocate resources to finishing the job,” Mr Chester said.
“There’s no guarantee of success with a grant application through a competitive process, but we need to at least make a funding submission to be considered. We need to see a final budget for the uncompleted sections and a plan to finish the project.”
Mr Chester said the grant program provided funding of between $500,000 and $15 million to local government for capital works projects that will enhance liveability, bolster social cohesion, and support local amenity throughout Australia’s regions.
“Importantly, the intended outcomes of the program are consistent with KW and include to: enhance liveability and amenity in regional communities and contribute to the achievement of government priorities supporting the resilience, adaptability, accessibility, sustainability and liveability of communities,” Mr Chester said.
“Given one of the key features of the KW project is to build respect and reconciliation through high-profile public art, including the new Borun and Tuk sculpture, it could attract Federal Government funding if the council was prepared to make its own contribution.
“This project has the potential to become an icon of East Gippsland, and extensive preliminary work has been undertaken in terms of design and environmental approvals. That work will be wasted unless we remain committed to finishing the project and fully celebrating our region’s cultural and environmental heritage.”
