The prime minister, Kevin Rudd, announced last week that additional funding of $220 million will be made available to councils in 2009-10 from the Community Infrastructure Program.

GTCC will receive $427,000 in funding, which is intended to support local jobs during the global economic recession and provide long-term benefits by renewing and upgrading local infrastructure.

The funds can be used to build and modernise community facilities such as town halls, libraries, community centres, sportsgrounds and environmental infrastructure.

Further guidelines for the funding will be released later this year.

The $100 million from the program has been divided among Australia’s 565 councils and the remaining $120 million will be available on a competitive basis for larger strategic projects.

Mayor Paul Hogan, who returned from the National Assembly of Local Government in Canberra last week, said the announcement is a positive step for councils, acknowledging that not enough focus has been placed on whole-of-life asset planning in the past.

As part of the Manning Valley Community Plan, the council is formulating an asset management strategy and a long-term financial management strategy to address these requirements.

He said this funding is in addition to the $996,000 in infrastructure funding provided earlier this year and the $2.47 million upgrade of the Taree Recreation Centre.

Member for Lyne Rob Oakeshott also welcomed the funding.

“This money will go towards creating and supporting local jobs and will allow the councils to consider more applications for local community infrastructure projects, which is good news for everyone,” he said.

“There is also $120 million available for larger, more strategic projects which will be up for grabs through a competitive process so I encourage all those eligible to apply to be ready when the time comes.”