The bushfire impacted Wollondilly region will receive a critical boost to their recovery from four local projects to be delivered through Stage Two of the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments. 

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said all four projects selected from this region had been put forward by the community, with funding focused on local solutions and local needs. 

“These projects were identified by those communities that were impacted by the bushfires and will make a big difference locally, creating opportunities to increase tourism, employment and providing a boost to the economy,” Mr Taylor said. 

Local projects approved in Wollondilly include: 

• $920,120 upgrade to playground at Picton Botanic Gardens to include an inclusive play space and shade shelters at seven additional facilities in the Wollondilly LGA.
• $986,570 to upgrade the community co-working space in the old Picton Post Office.
• $981,727 to fund the Local Skills Ready Program to boost employment.
• $919,206 to provide practical support to bushfire-impacted communities in the Blue Mountains.

These projects are the latest to be announced as part of a joint investment of more than $500 million in Local Economic Recovery, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments to support locally-led bushfire recovery initiatives.  

Funding for LER projects is just one of the initiatives supported by the Australian Government’s National Bushfire Recovery Fund. To date, more than $2.3 billion in Australian Government support has been provided to help bushfire affected communities, including $1.6 billion spent so far from the National Bushfire Recovery Fund. Over 80 per cent of the available funding has been used to help communities recover from the 2019-20 bushfires. 

Details of successful local economic recovery projects in New South Wales – and across other states – are available on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency website at http://www.recovery.gov.au/our-community/local-bushfire-recovery-projects.