At the Central Darling Shire Council's April meeting, councillors received updates on several significant projects and operational matters, highlighting progress in water infrastructure and regional roadworks.

A key item reported was the imminent commencement of the Ivanhoe water treatment plant project.

Unlike previous projects at White Cliffs and Wilcannia, the Ivanhoe plant's approval process followed a review of environmental factors under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

However, the project still requires a crown construction certificate and a crown occupation certificate before works can fully proceed.

The council was informed that the tender winner has been notified and is currently engaging a private certifier, as only an A1 certifier is authorised to issue the necessary crown construction certificate.

The council resolved to receive the report, endorse the commencement of the project, and endorse the review of environmental factors report, noting the subsequent requirement for the certificates2 .

A standard update report on water and sewer services was also presented and received, with no specific questions or points raised during the meeting.

The meeting also featured a detailed report on roads and aerodrome activities, outlining completions and future plans.

The Princy Road initial seal project is now complete according to the federal government's post-completion report, with the council having received the final payment of $1 million.

The regional road block grant programme is also on track for completion, with all expenditure planned by June 30.

Furthermore, the RWE ERF programme for regional roads is almost complete, with the $10 million funding received in advance.

Remaining local roads under this programme are scheduled for the next financial year.

Additional works are needed on state highways, and council engineers are collaborating with Transport for New South Wales on these efforts.

A meeting was scheduled to discuss these works further.

Looking ahead, Racecourse Road is identified as the next major project the council hopes to complete. Work is currently underway with solicitors, the Budjeri Native Title Corporation, and Crown Lands to establish the necessary legal processes to allow this project to commence, potentially in June.

Operational adjustments were also noted, with the council reducing its grading crews from five to four.

This reduction is planned to last until the end of the financial year and into the new year.

This step is being taken because the road block grant is mostly expended, and storm damage works are nearing completion.

Focusing on local and regional road funding, along with a few other specific projects, means there is less need for a larger number of crews.

The report indicated that the number of crews might potentially reduce further to three in the first or second quarter of the next financial year, with a concentration on maintenance activities and a limited number of other projects.

The reports on roads and aerodrome activities, along with water and sewer updates, were received and noted by the council.