Town upgrades get $10m boost

The funding is on top of $10 million committed by Canterbury Bankstown Council for the works.
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour says the funding is a great win.
“It’s an opportunity to revitalise and refresh the Belmore and Lakemba Town Centres and build a new Panania Library,” Mayor Asfour said.
“When completed, the projects will be huge assets for all the community to enjoy.
“We have a real opportunity to transform both sites.”
Work will begin immediately with a priority on consultation and engagement with the community.
Some of the improvements to both Town Centres will include improved seating, outdoor dining opportunities, traffic control measures, improved footpaths, open spaces and gardens.
Minister for Local Government, Wendy Tuckerman, said the projects were based on years of consultation between local councils and their communities.
“These projects will provide residents with a place to connect to family and friends,” she said.
In announcing the funds, Executive Director of the WestInvest Program Office, Alison Morgan, commended the council on its application and priorities.
“I wish to acknowledge the enormous effort your team at the council has put into the WestInvest Program,” Ms Morgan said.
The funding is on top of the $24 million that the council received last month for a new civic precinct in Campsie which includes a library, a community hub in Greenacre, parks and pedestrian links.