Maximising Funding Opportunities and Community Benefits through Infrastructure Upgrades by Daniel Chaille

Abstract

Taking a big picture view to infrastructure upgrades and identifying coincident opportunities to address multiple deficiencies at once has the potential to unlock great benefits for the local community and provide Councils with the ability to qualify for multiple funding programs at a State and Federal level. Cloncurry Shire Council (CSC), located one and a half hours east of Mt Isa, realized this opportunity through the upgrade of a simple parking lot adjacent their cattle sale yards. The Heavy Vehicle Area Upgrade project was originally tasked with improving drainage issues within the parking lot and the sale yards themselves. As the project area was located adjacent major heavy vehicle route, Council identified an opportunity to also upgrade the parking lot and surrounds with additional facilities at the same time as addressing drainage and create a new, large TMR compliant rest area for heavy vehicle traffic. A cost benefit analysis of the project revealed not only would the combined upgrades improve local drainage but also better road safety, reduce driver fatigue and enhance amenity at the facility. To project was also assessed to provide a flow on stimulus and enhanced economic activity within the local township from passing drivers now able to safety stop and resupply. The capital cost of the project was estimated at $1.86mil with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.38 under the most conservative assumptions. Through a close working relationship of Council, Design Consultants, Community Stakeholders and Economists, the project design could be tailored to successfully address the base need for a drainage upgrade while providing a large flow on benefit to the heavy vehicle industry and local community. The project was subsequently successful in being awarded funding from both the Federal Government “Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program” (HVSPP) and the State Government “Building Our Regions” Program. It has now been constructed and is a great asset to the community which it services.