Gurley Public Recreation Reserve Trustee Kent Ritter, left, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Trust secretary Rhonda McPherson and trustee Brendan Munn discuss the replacement of the old concrete floor in the Gurley Hall.
Thursday, 1 September 2016
RESTORATION of the Gurley community hall will move into a new phase, with $11,806 in support from the State Government, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced today.
“The hall has already benefited from painting and other cleanup efforts by Work for the Dole participants, but this funding means that the community can replace a broken concrete floor and install a disabled toilet,” Mr Marshall said yesterday, after he visited the hall to announce the funding.
“The Gurley Public Recreation Reserve Trust is doing a great job of bringing the hall back into operation on behalf of the community.
“This old community infrastructure needs constant work. As soon as you stop maintaining things, they degrade. The Trust is to be applauded for stepping in and saving the hall before it falls beyond repair.
“We are also lucky to have the Public Reserves Management Fund (PRMF) that supports community groups like those at Gurley with an annual grant program.
Secretary of the Gurley Public Recreation Reserve Trust Rhonda McPherson said despite the Trust’s efforts to build a small revenue stream by providing paid caravan camping facilities on the ground, the funds it generates can’t support anything but basic maintenance – let alone restoration work.
The 2016/17 funding allocation from the Public Reserves Management Fund Program is part of an $18 million annual program of grants and loans from the NSW Government to support the development, maintenance and protection of the public reserves.
“This funding is not only vital to the success of our regional communities, but also supports the role our professional and volunteer managers play in the ongoing management of the reserves,” Mr Marshall said.
This year, more than $550,000 has been secured from the PRMF for projects across the Northern Tablelands.