BATHURST Regional Council hopes to soon have a list of projects ready to spend a $1 million grant on to ease the pressure that has been caused by the NSW drought.
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The Federal Government awarded the money to council in March under the Drought Communities Program, specifying that the money had to be spent this year.
Councillors have already made their own suggestions, but council's general manger David Sherley recently said he was reluctant let council approve any ideas until he knew which ones were viable.
"All of the [suggestions] we put together are probably [worth] around $1.5 million," he said.
"Before I come back to the councillors, we need to go to the Federal Government department to say 'These are indicative projects, do you think they will or will not get over the line?'.
"Then I'll come back to you, because there is no point me saying to you 'Here's 20 projects, pick 15' and then find out that five of the 15 you picked, the government won't support."
One of the suggestions put forward, by councillor Jess Jennings, was to use some of the money to continue the free water for primary producers scheme.
An extension of the scheme was approved by council last week and stated that it would stop of the Chifley Dam level dropped to 40 per cent.
The dam was at 43.1 per cent as of May 7.
Cr Jennings said he would remove this condition and also use the grant money to cover water cartage for the primary producers, which is currently a cost worn by the farmers.
"I would see that it would be possible to extend this policy in terms of time, but also increase it in terms of value to include cartage, which I believe other councils have done with this money," he said.
Another suggestion for the grant money, made at the April policy committee meeting by Cr John Fry, was to develop and host workshops for regenerative land management.