FOURTY thousand dollars of funding has been given to Coonabarabran's Bowling and Golf Clubs for much-needed upgrades.
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Hospitality Troy Grant joined Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries to announce $40,000 in club grants funding to upgrade the Coonabarabran Bowling Club and install playground equipment at the Coonabarabran Golf Club.
The local projects are one of five across the State that the NSW State Emergency Services and NSW Rural Fire Service assisted to prioritise to help improve community emergency readiness and responsiveness.
The Coonabarabran Bowling Club will receive $34,000 to upgrade kitchen facilities to increase capacity by 30 per cent to further its ability to provide meals for personnel and $5500 will be given to the Coonabarabran Golf Club to install a children’s play equipment.
Mr Grant said emergencies happen unpredictably and this injection of funding gave clubs the ability to help out when Mother Nature was at her worst.
“This funding will increase the ability for the Coonabarabran clubs to play an important role supporting emergency personnel and provide much needed support for affected residents during times of natural disaster,” Mr Grant said.
“The NSW Liberals and Nationals government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Clubs NSW in October 2014 that paved the way for these important projects to be delivered.
“A larger and more fulsome round of projects will be determined later this year which will further enhance local clubs’ ability to provide assistance during vulnerable times,” Mr Grant said.
Mr Humphries said the Coonabarabran community had been tested in the past with fires and any assistance to improve the town’s preparation and responsiveness was welcomed.
“The region can be proud the NSW Government is delivering $40,000 through this club grants scheme to assist during times of natural disaster,” Mr Humphries said.
“This $34,000 investment will provide the club with the ability to provide meals to the hardworking Disaster Recovery Services, the Disaster Welfare Services, and disaster personnel and evacuees.
“The Coonabarabran Golf Club has been used as an emergency evacuation centre for the region during bushfires in the past and the new playground equipment will allow children to have a safe place to interact during a time of stress and uncertainty,” Mr Humphries said.
Clubs NSW executive manager public affairs Josh Landis thanked the NSW Liberals and Nationals government for their ongoing support of local clubs.
“Coonabarabran clubs played a vital role during the bushfire emergency back in 2013 so it is great to see their support during emergencies receive official recognition,” Mr Landis said.
“The $34,000 kitchen upgrade for the bowling club and the $5500 upgrade for the golf club’s outdoor facilities will enable both clubs to provide greater assistance to the local community and emergency services personnel in the event of a future emergency.”
