WORK will start early this year on a $2 million overhaul of Gunnedah’s ageing sewerage system.
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Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey said the renewal project has been a long time coming, particularly as some current infrastructure is nearly a century old.
“Some of the equipment that will be replaced as part of this project is almost 100 years old,” Cr Chaffey said.
“With the growth we've seen in our region, it is something we needed to do.”
Project tenders are being evaluated now for the development, which will attract new local employment opportunities.
“There is expected to be 24 jobs created through construction phase, we hope to have a high number from the local community,” he said.
Funding for the upgrade was sourced through the state’s Resources for Regions pool – a $32 million kitty designed to relieve the strain on communities directly impacted by mining activity.
Gunnedah was previously ineligible for the scheme, but under council’s then mayor Owen Hasler and Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson, lobbied to have the criteria changed.
In March last year, the NSW government opened applications to any community affected by mining.
Mr Anderson said Gunnedah is in a “unique position” as one of the few regional centres in NSW experiencing growth.
“When we see populations of around 10,000, they're generally declining and populations are contracting to larger regional centres,” Mr Anderson said. “Gunnedah is quite the opposite.”