August 30, 2016
Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has provided official confirmation of the Federal Government’s $10 million commitment towards building the Latrobe Creative Precinct.
The MP presented a letter, co-signed with Minister for Regional Development Fiona Nash, to Latrobe City Council Mayor Michael Rossiter, which outlines details of the election commitment made in June.
Mr Chester said the Federal Government’s share of the funding had been fully budgeted for and the project would be delivered.
“I was proud to be able to help secure the $10 million funding commitment from the Federal Government during the election, and I now look forward to seeing construction works get underway,” Mr Chester said.
“The Latrobe Creative Precinct will provide local residents with entertainment facilities that are equal to, or better than, those enjoyed in metropolitan areas, while also bringing more visitors to our region.
“The arts are an important part of a vibrant, diverse economy and the flow-on benefits to local small businesses will be substantial.”
The Victorian Government and Latrobe City Council have also committed $10 million each towards the $30 million project, which will revitalise Latrobe’s arts and creative industries.
Mayor Michael Rossiter welcomed the confirmation of funding, and said the council had already started to consider construction and governance models for the new development.
“With this confirmation from the Minister, we now look forward to working with the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development to finalise a deed of agreement,” Cr Rossiter said.
“The flow-on benefits of this project will extend from beyond the arts into new educational and vocational training initiatives for local residents.
“Latrobe City Council is looking forward to the many artistic and learning opportunities the new Latrobe Cultural Precinct will bring to our region.”
The federal funding will be delivered through the Community Development Grants (CDG) program, which funds community infrastructure projects across Australia.
Caption: Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester presents the signed letter of confirmation to Mayor Michael Rossiter
