Kapunda Senior Citizens Club members Janet Will (left) and Lyne Harrison, Light Regional Councilmayor Bill O’Brien and Member for Barker Tony Pasin announced a $212,000 upgrade to the Kapunda Senior Citizens Centre last week. PHOTO: Sam Bradbrook
THE Kapunda Senior Citizens Club, three unsealed roads and the Freeling Agricultural, Recreational and Multi-use (FARM) centre will be upgraded via the $1 million in federal drought funding received by Light Regional Council (LRC) last month.
Member for Barker Tony Pasin and LRC mayor Bill O’Brien were in Kapunda last Wednesday to announce how the funding from the Drought Communities Program would be spent.
Mr Pasin said the funding program is a way for communities coping with drought to have access to improved facilities and infrastructure, and grant money does not need to be spent on projects specifically related to drought relief.
Part of the funding will go towards a $212,000 upgrade of the Kapunda Senior Citizens Club to improve access for its members.
The club is currently separated into two buildings with an ageing toilet block in the middle, which poses a problem for disabled and elderly members.
The upgrades will see the two buildings connected and a new bathroom area installed under cover.
Kapunda Seniors Citizens Club president Janet Will was thankful a building she had many fond memories about was going to be improved.
“We’re very pleased and we’ve been looking forward to, for a long time, some nice toilets for our members,” she said.
“Our members are all getting older and they need something that’s more suitable than what we’ve got.
“I’ve been president for seven years and earlier my parents were involved in the club – we’ve been running for 50 years this year.”
The funding will also be used to re-surface Stockport Road at Freeling, Ayliffe Road at Linwood and Wasleys Road from Woolsheds to Wasleys.
The carpark at the FARM Centre will also be sealed to provide all-weather access.
Mr Pasin said his government would rather see good rains to break the drought, but hoped the funding could provide assistance to struggling communities.
“The funding is to be spent as the council saw fit to support those dealing with the consequences of drought,” he said.
“We hope and pray we won’t have to provide any further drought funding to the council, because even with this $1 million, we would rather it rained.
“Hopefully our crops deliver this season and receive some spring rain, and some additional winter rain.”
