The Federal Government is injecting more than $2 million into Greater Shepparton roads and community infrastructure.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell confirmed five councils in the electorate would share in $9.8 million in funding through the latest round of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
Greater Shepparton City Council has been allocated $2,033,496 million through the program, which has previously helped fund Shepparton’s Vibert Reserve Pavilion and lighting on footpaths at Victoria Park Lake.
Mr Birrell said the latest round of funding would be critically important to the Nicholls community.
“The extremely wet weather and flooding in late 2022 has placed an additional burden on local government, with many roads requiring significant and costly upgrades over and above the scheduled maintenance they had planned for,” he said.
The program has $500 million available to councils nationwide, with an extra $250 million targeted to support road projects in regional, rural and outer-urban areas.
Mr Birrell said more targeted funding would be required to repair and restore thousands of kilometres of rural roads.
“Guidelines and grant agreements are yet to be finalised, but I would urge the government to ensure councils that were subject to disaster declarations are given priority access to the targeted $250 million fund,” Mr Birrell said.
The other allocations under the program in Nicholls are $2.6 million for Campaspe Shire Council, $2.5 million for Moira Shire Council, $1.4 million for Strathbogie Shire Council and $1.1 million for Mitchell Shire Council.