THE Albury Council is after a federal grant to build the Davey Road freeway interchange at Ettamogah.
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The city has asked the NSW government for half the money for the $13.8 million project and will seek the rest from the federal National Stronger Regions fund.
The Indigo Council may seek money from the fund as it tries again to bypass trucks around Rutherglen.
Grants of $20,000 to $10 million that councils must match are up for grabs in round one of the $1 billion fund.
But most Border councils seem to have set aside the wishlists they had when the fund was known as the Regional Development Australia fund.
Under that $2.4 billion fund, Labor promised almost $8 million in Border projects.
The projects involved $5.86 million to redevelop Wodonga’s city centre, $343,000 for the city’s tennis centre courts, $500,000 to rejuvenate Lavington’s Wagga Road, $284,000 to revamp Rutherglen’s Main Street and $410,000 to redevelop the Wangaratta saleyards.
Labor said the projects were guaranteed, regardless of who won last year’s election, but the Coalition replaced Labor’s fund with its own — $200 million a year for five years — and refused to honour works without signed contracts.
Albury mayor Kevin Mack said the city had sought NSW money for Wagga Road, and may pay for the rest itself.
“Building northern interchange ramps at Davey Road is a high priority. We are seeking funds we can find them,” he said.
“It’s needed out there with the Ettamogah rail hub.”
Cr Mack welcomed the new fund, but questioned how far $200 million would go among Australia’s regional councils.
Indigo mayor Bernard Gaffney, when asked to nominate the project they might seek funding for, said it was “a big project” and he was “very confident going forward”.
“I can’t say what it is but we did discuss it with Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss in June,” he said.
At that time, The Border Mail reported Cr Gaffney discussed with Mr Truss several infrastructure projects, including the upgrade of the Up River-Gooramadda Road for trucks that now use Rutherglen’s Main Street.
Cr Gaffney said the council also had discussions with VicRoads last week.
Corowa mayor Fred Longmire said it “had well and truly” moved on from its past key project, the Corowa saleyards upgrade.
After four years of lobbying for $1.4 million to match its contribution of $1.3 million, the council this year scaled back its plans and pushed on with its own $500,000 extension.
“We got mucked around that much that we just got on with it,” he said.
“But there’s always a project we’ll be looking towards so the fund is welcome news, absolutely.”
A Wodonga Council spokesman said the city was interested in applying for funding, but would look further at the guidelines before deciding the most suitable project.
Applications close at the end of next month, with funding available from July 1.