Mount Gambier Council seeks funding for $1.5 million Rail Trail upgrade
A proposal to upgrade and extend a 9.2km Mount Gambier walking and cycling path will double the cost of the existing path, if the $1.5 million plan attracts funding.
Mount Gambier
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Mount Gambier’s Rail Trail will be extended if government funding can be secured for the $1.5 million project.
A plan to complete the next stage of the shared cycling and walking paths and install solar lights to the entire track was discussed at Tuesday night’s Mount Gambier Council meeting.
Funding will now be sought through the Local Government Infrastructure Partnership Program (IPP).
The $100 million funding pool was announced in the 2020-2021 State Budget and Mayor Lynette Martin said it could be used to accelerate local infrastructure projects.
The current 9.2km trail has been completed over four stages with total expenditure of around $1.6 million, with almost half of the project funded by State Government grants.
Further paths would connect Wandilo Road to the TAFE SA and University of South Australia campus on Wireless Road West, pending confirmation of an exact route.
Eligible projects must have a minimum $1 million price tag with councils to match the government spend dollar for dollar.
If successful, general manager city infrastructure Nick Serle said the council would need to fund half the costs.
“The solar lighting for the entire trail is around about $1 million,” Mr Serle said.
“The shared path that’s envisaged in the report will be about $500,000.
“We were talking about roughly $1.5 million project or a $750,000 council contribution.”
Councillor Steven Perryman was in favour of applying for stimulus money to fund the initiative.
“I hope it all goes forward successfully and adds to a wonderful community asset that’s been established but still has some other opportunities to make it an even better community asset,” Cr Perryman said.
“It seems like it’s one of those occasions where the ducks might fall in a row.”
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