Transcript - Radio 2BS Bathurst - Brekky with Pecky

KERRY PECK [HOST]: Some good news released for the Calare electorate under the Growing Regions grants, and of course right across the area- or over Australia, $600 million being released in these grants. And of course, a whole stack’s been released for our local area, $22 million in fact. So, we thought we’d catch up this morning to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King. Good morning.

CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Good morning. It’s really lovely to be with you.

KERRY PECK: Thank you very much indeed for your time. I really do appreciate it this morning.

Now, this is great news. Now, the first cab off the rank for this one is one that I've been talking to the Orange mayor about over a number of weeks, is the Orange Sports Hub. Now, stages two and three, the federal government's given them a very generous grant.

CATHERINE KING: Well, again, all of these grants are based on merit. So congratulations to the council for the great work their staff have done putting in the application. So $15 million for the Orange Regional Sports Club to really develop stage two and three, the main stadium and the athletics precinct. Again, I think this has been a project that's been a long time on the books and one that's been talked about for a while, so terrific that it's been successful. Andrew Gee has been advocating pretty strongly this for this project for a while, and delighted that it's made its way through what is a really important grants program for our regional communities, and being able to fund, whether it's sports programs or community hubs or arts projects, really helping our regions really lift themselves up in terms of both the liveability of communities, but also the economic opportunities for people living in our fabulous region.

KERRY PECK: Now, in our city, of course, the arts have received a big boost in $4.1 million.

CATHERINE KING: Well, this also matches, I think the state government have put in an equivalent amount to really develop an arts residency program. So, for artists to come and live and work within the community, to develop their art, but also it provides an opportunity to increase tourism into the region. I know, again, this has been a project that's been on the books for a while. The new council wants to have a bit of a look at it. But I think it's a really beautiful project out at Ben Chifley Dam, which again will create, you know, a theatre space the way- you know, you can have rehearsals and workshops. Local artists can use it as well. But really trying to bring people into the region to show it's not just sport that's important, but it's also the arts and culture and community that's also important in our region.

KERRY PECK: Yeah. Now sport, of course, important in the Lithgow area. They've received a really good boost for their mountain bike club.

CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Well, the mountain bike transformation project, there's 3 million that was successful under the Growing Regions program for that as well. And again, you know, I think- I must admit I see people who are doing mountain biking and I think they are absolutely mad. But people love it. It looks incredibly dangerous to me, but it is such a huge sport. People are participating and looking for new trails, looking for new places to go. And of course, it's not just when people come in doing the mountain biking, they also book your accommodation, they book out hotels and restaurants and buy products in the local community. So the mountain biking for Lithgow is again, another really great project that will develop a world class mountain bike track with about 25 kilometres of service trails through there. And really looking forward to these projects being delivered.

KERRY PECK: We must remember that, of course, all these particular grants, all are benefits for not only the economy but also, of course, you know, for tourism as well.

CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Exactly right. I mean, really, you want to be able to make sure you've got liveable communities for people who are there all the time, but also you want to bring people in to showcase what a great place it is to live, but also have that opportunity to - you know, for your small businesses to be able to, on the back of tourism, also grow their businesses. And that's really what these grants are about as well.

KERRY PECK: And you and I aren't going mountain biking anytime soon. Is that right?

[Laughter]

CATHERINE KING: Oh no, oh no.

KERRY PECK: I really- I know that you're very busy. I really do appreciate your time this morning. I'd love to catch up again in the future, if I may.

CATHERINE KING: You are absolutely most welcome. I’d be very happy to [inaudible]…

KERRY PECK: [Talks over] Good on you. Thank you very much indeed for that this morning. Really appreciate it.

There we go. Of course, that's some fabulous announcements there. We'll actually have a chat to Andrew Gee a bit later on in the morning. That’s the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King with those announcements there for the Calare electorate, which is good news for Calare. I have to say.

ENDS