Council thanks the Howlong community following overwhelming response

Published on 24 May 2019

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Council has congratulated the Howlong community at its monthly Council meeting in May following the strong participation of residents in regards to the Howlong Community Hall and Communtiy Fitness Centre Community Engagement project.

The Howlong Football Club and Council have been successful in gaining funds $1Million (M) from NSW Premier and Cabinet under the Stronger Country Communities Program, towards the construction of a Community Hall and Community Fitness Centre, as extensions to the Lowe Square Sports Pavilion building.

The Community Hall, Fitness Centre and Club Rooms will be for the community to use and therefore, Council invited the community to help plan these facilities and their operation, and to also gauge views on using funds from the town improvement fund to supplement the $1M grant.

The purpose of the survey was to engage with Howlong residents to gauge views on committing $170,000 of the Howlong Town Improvement Funds, towards the project to enable the Community Hall, Fitness Centre and Sports Pavilion infrastructure projects to come to fruition with further funding. The survey received an overwhelming response in favour of this, with 92.52% of survey participants agreeing to the Howlong Town Improvement Funds being used for such a community project.

Council conducted a ‘Have your Say’ community engagement project with the Howlong community beginning on 8 March 2019 and concluding at 5pm on 31 March 2019. During this time frame, Council received 116 survey responses, entered online via survey monkey, through Council’s website or returned in hard copy to any one of Council’s offices.

Posters, as well as supporting information were displayed throughout the engagement project in Howlong and on Council’s corporate website, Facebook page and in the Howlong Grapevine. As a result of the survey, the information provided to Council and the Howlong Football Club will now ensure that the communities hopes for the facility and its operation will be taken into consideration in future planning for the construction and its operating functions thereafter.

Given the strong community support for this project, Council resolved to allocate funding from the Howlong Town Improvement Fund of $170,000, and $197,715 of SCF interest earned to date.

This will bring the total budget allocated to this project to $1,367,715. Further funding opportunities are currently being explored to source remaining funds to go towards the construction and fit out of the Community Hall and Community Fitness Centre as extensions to the Lowe Square Sports Pavilion building. It is hoped that further funding will be obtained in the near future so construction of this infrastructure project can begin as soon as possible. Council would like to thank all Howlong residents that participated in this engagement project and looks forward with anticipation to the construction of this new community facility.

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