Member for Dubbo Troy Grant announced on Tuesday, the Stronger Country Communities Fund has been established and $3.4 million will be invested in new public infrastructure, $1.3 million in the Dubbo electorate.

Mid-Western, Dubbo and Narramine council areas can nominate for the funding.

“This is an exciting time. Each of my councils will be receiving $750,000 as a base allocation, and a ratio on population has been added to each council area to give them the funds to invest,” Mr Grant said.

“This will be a significant enhancement to our local economies. Jobs will be created, and there will be opportunities for community groups, organisations and councils to access these funds to enhance each of our communities with new public infrastructure, whether it is parks, sporting facilities, halls, whatever is needed in the community. 

“This is a very localised attempt to make sure the community can ask each of the councils to facilitate access to this money and deliver on these very important projects.

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Mid-Western Regional Council mayor Des Kennedy welcomed the funding, indicated “community consultation” would be needed.

“It’s a fantastic initiative, getting money back into regional NSW,” he said.

“A lot of our projects are bigger ticket items, so I think we’ll probably consult with the community before I would offer any of my suggestions.”

Mr Grant said the fund will support projects between $100,000 and $1 million, or higher with financial co-contribution.

“These will be funded in the next 12 months to be completed in the next two years,” he said.

The Stronger Country Communities Fund is part of the NSW Government’s $1.3 billion Regional Growth Fund, designed to improve economic growth and productivity with investment in regional communities.