Coorong District Council, South Australia, has given the go ahead for major upgrades to the Meningie North Jetty and an extension of the Murray Coorong Trail into Raukkan thanks to $1 million from the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
The Murray Darling Basin Economic Development Program (MDBEDP) funding highlighted the Lower Lakes area as being one of the most impacted by water recovery activities under the Basin Plan.
Now, the cash injection will be used to support economic development activities, with the rollout of new facilities set to support growth in the tourism sector and long term employment opportunities.
The $500,000 Meningie Jetty project will include the construction and installation of an 85m floating pontoon on to the end of the existing structure. The facility will be able to berth up to 16 (12m) vessels, providing more space for recreation activities and more depth during times of low water. It will also support long-term functions of the Meningie Sailing Club and other lake-based tourism and recreational activities.
The $500,000 Murray Coorong Trail project is one portion of the major 450km regional walking and cycling trail project which will eventually connect the lower stretches of the Murray River to the Coorong.
This funding specifically, will see the construction of a 6.6km path and interpretative signage within the Raukkan township – forming part of the trail loop around the Narrung Peninsula.
The project team will work with the Raukkan Community Council and Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority (NRA) to support Aboriginal employment opportunities throughout construction, and long-term` cultural tourism opportunities, with a goal to increase visitation to Raukkan. It’s also planned that this section will eventually connect to Noonameena along the edge of the Coorong and Lake Albert.
Mayor, Paul Simmons, said, “This is huge for our Coorong communities.
“We’ve had some tough times over the past decade, both on the land and on the lakes, so this news could not have come at a better time.
“Plans for the Meningie north jetty upgrade were drawn up three years ago, and as a small rural Council, there’s simply no way we would’ve been able to fund it ourselves.
“Also, the ongoing development of the Murray Coorong Trail relies on external funding each year, but this is the biggest bucket of funding delivered to this project to date.
“The total $1 million will complete two major projects for our district, which will provide new jobs, new lakeside facilities and a new sense of confidence for local people.”
