WEST Wimmera Shire councillors have discussed whether to rethink a council funding allocation for Harrow Recreation Reserve after the project received state government support this year.
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West Wimmera Shire Council received $1.5 million from the federal government in 2016 as part of a drought program.
The council originally distributed $700,000 to the Edenhope Mechanics Hall rebuild, $217,000 to restore Kaniva Shire Hall, and $150,000 to Harrow Recreation Reserve.
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At a meeting on Wednesday night, West Wimmera Shire councillors had a chance to reconsider the council’s $150,000 allocation for the reserve and whether to redistribute the money to another project, in light of the state government funding.
Chief executive David Leahy made a recommendation to the council that it endorse restoration works for Edenhope Mechanics Hall, Kaniva Shire Hall and Apsley Town Hall, as well as improvements to the Lake Wallace foreshore and the Harrow Discovery Centre.
The recommendation proposed $700,000 for the Edenhope and Apsley projects collectively, and $217,000 for the Kaniva hall project.
Under the recommendation, the Lake Wallace foreshore project would receive $110,000 and the Harrow Discovery Centre would receive $40,000.
Mr Leahy said the landscape had changed significantly since the announcement of the Drought Community Program funding in 2016.
“For example, some of the projects initially nominated with a notional sum of allocation have received funds from other external sources, and the ability to complete other projects within the timeframe and financial constraints has meant that a re-think of the proposed allocations was necessary,” he said.
However, the recommendation was not endorsed.
Mayor Jodie Pretlove said councillors moved a motion to distribute the money to where it was originally allocated.
Cr Pretlove said councillors had a “long and robust” discussion about the funding allocations, and the decision was not made lightly.
“It hasn’t been an easy decision for councillors,” she said.
“If the Harrow Recreation Reserve did not have their big win from the $1 million support, the decision might have had a different feeling.
“But it came through loud and clear from one our senior councillors that we are playing with federal money, and swinging it around might have consequences.”