Cannonvale roads are set for repairs

VALLEY Drive and Coral Esplanade are two of the Whitsunday roads set to benefit from a share in more than $734,000 in federal funding in the current financial year.

The money is part of the Liberal National Government’s $2.1billion Roads to Recovery program, to assist with local road construction and street repair.

Whitsunday Regional Council will take a $4.4million slice of the overall pie from 2014-2018, which Federal MP George Christensen described as a welcome boost for both roads and employment in the region.

Mr Christensen said Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss would now be writing to all councils advising them of their full allocations for the 2014-15 to 2018-19 Roads to Recovery programs, which were announced last week. “This is great news for local councils, residents and businesses and is a shot in the arm for a local community under stress from recent job losses in the resource industry,” he said.

“These funds will ensure infrastructure works are keeping people in a job and will make a real difference in building roads, repairing streets and creating better access across our community.”

Mr Christensen said Councils could lodge their applications this month, which would allow payments under the new Roads to Recovery program to be made this November.

The other Whitsunday roads to benefit in the current financial year are the Livingstone and Leichhardt Street roundabout and Bluewater Parade in Bowen.