Brown and Council in pavilion funding stoush

THE federal government is expected to come forward with a million dollar grant for the showground pavilion upgrade, but it is still unclear whether the NSW Government will do the same.

Federal member for Gilmore Joanna Gash said she personally supported Kiama Council's application for a regional partnership grant and that she expected to hear the result by the end of the month.

"It is a lot of money but I'm very hopeful. We've had the department look at it, they've been down on the site," she said.

The upgrades to the pavilion come with a $4.5 million price tag, which the council was hoping to raise through grants and low interest loans.

Last week Kiama MP Matt Brown announced the state government had approved a low rate $2.5 million loan for the council.

But he said, "The loan is subject to Kiama Council raising the balance of funds for the project."

The council had planned to raise this money with grants of $1 million from both the state and federal governments.

Mayor Sandra McCarthy said she believed there had been an understanding that the project would be completed with a whole of government approach.

"Matt Brown as member for Kiama and also Jo Gash attended (public meetings exhibiting the design) and were very supportive and made commitments for funding of $1 million from the state and $1 million from the federal government," she said.

"Every politician was waxing lyrical about it and promising funding."

But Mr Brown said this week, "All I ever said was I would assist council as best as I can."

"The last advice I had from council was that with that loan they can proceed."

The council's general manager Michael Forsyth said if the state government grant did not come through, the council would see if it try make up the balance alone.