Blackheath’s master plan, car parking at Hazelbrook and Lawson, the Warrimoo oval carpark upgrade and the replacement of the football building at Pitt Park in Wentworth Falls are all due to be completed in the coming financial year.
Despite the necessary diversion of some funds to asbestos management and clean-up, a number of major projects will be completed in 2018-19, according to council’s draft operational plan, now on public exhibition.
The big ticket items in the plan include $481,000 to finish the upgrade at Wentworth Falls Lake, $250,000 to renew the irrigation system at Tom Hunter Park in Faulconbridge, $300,000 on the local walking tracks program, $271,000 for the upgrade of the Echo Point walking track and lookout, and $108,000 for improvements to the pit toilet and sewerage system at Mt Blackheath.
The mayor, Mark Greenhill, and general manager, Rosemary Dillon, conceded in their opening remarks that the asbestos mismanagement scandal had had an impact on council plans.
“The safety, health and wellbeing of our community and our employees are of paramount importance to the council,” they said in their message. “In light of this, the four-year strategic priority outcomes have been updated to reflect the increased focus on improving organisational performance and asbestos management.”
The number one priority for 2018-19 was to “develop and implement an integrated safety management system, ensuring the well-being of our workforce and the community, and improving the council’s management of asbestos and other risks to health and safety”.
Half a million dollars has been set aside for asbestos capital works in 2018-19 plus another half a million in the following year. Some $80,000 has been budgeted to remove asbestos from council’s childcare and early childhood centres and a further $300,000 to remediate the old Blackheath tip site.
The replacement of the Pitt Park building will cost $600,000, the Blackheath master plan $300,000, and carpark work at Lawson $559,000, Hazelbrook $388,000 and Warrimoo Oval $209,000.
The plan outlines what council will deliver to the community including its annual service actions, asset works program and financial sustainability strategies.
The plan includes budget estimates and proposed charges for a range of services from garbage collection to grave plots and pool season passes (see story p6).
Other major projects due to be delivered in the coming year are the Glenbrook Park upgrade, public toilet work in Katoomba and the renewal of Civic Place in Katoomba.
The plan is at bluemountainshaveyoursay.com.au. Submissions until May 30.