Boosting the Economy After the Virus (9 May 2020)

Coffs Harbour City Council has responded to a call from the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, requesting ‘spade-ready’ transport infrastructure projects to help with economic recovery as we start to emerge out of the pandemic.

In total, we provided a list of 16 local initiatives worth an estimated $91.9m for consideration for funding from the Federal Government.

Infrastructure projects to help stimulate local and the wider economy are a focus for all levels of government at the moment as the country begins to consider recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 – hence the request from the Deputy PM’s office.

The list of possible transport infrastructure projects was quite varied, but they all came from existing Council strategies and plans, most of which have been through extensive community consultation.

Many other NSW councils are facing a very tough road out of the COVID-19 crisis, but we are in a financial position at this stage that will allow us to begin a range of transport, cultural, sporting and recreation infrastructure projects for our community as we start the recovery process.

Top of the list locally in terms of beneficial transport projects that could begin in the required three to six months are:

Woolgoolga CBD Streetscape Upgrade. This would see stretches of Beach Street, Nightingale Street, Market Street and Queen Street upgraded to provide on-street dining, cycleways, shared paths, pedestrian crossings and more street trees for shade. Coffs CBD Upgrade. A reconfiguration of lengths of Moonee Street, Park Avenue and Gordon Street to create more opportunities for pedestrian and cycle routes as per the City Centre Masterplan through separated cycleways, wider footpaths, street dining where possible and the encouragement of more parking outside the immediate CBD area. Elbow Street Multi-storey Carpark. To help provide more parking close to the CBD, a three-deck carpark in Elbow Street would accommodate a total of 421 car spaces.

Among the remaining 13 projects that we put forward are new footbridges, rural road upgrades, further streetscape enhancements, replacement of timber bridges, cycleways, accessibility improvements to bus stops and the sealing of remaining gravel sections of Eastern Dorrigo Way.

We will find out which projects may get funding in due course.

Streetscape improvements in the Woolgoolga CBD (pictured above) are top of the list of projects requesting funding from the Federal Government.