28 October 2022
REGIONAL FUNDING CUTS CONFIRMED UNDER SENATE SCRUTINY
The Albanese Government has refused to deny to a Senate Estimates Committee hearing today regional Australians would suffer a more than $10 billion hit following Tuesday’s Budget cuts to infrastructure spending.
Senator Bridget McKenzie said the Albanese Government had all but confirmed that the regions would be worse off over the coming four years as outlined in the 2022-23 Budget.
“Given the opportunity to put forward clear statistical evidence that the regions would be better off in this Budget, the Government decided to obfuscate with vague promises about funding over the coming decade,” Senator McKenzie, the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Australia, said.
“They are using funny money statistics and the reprofiling of major infrastructure projects to hide the fact that this Budget has savagely cut into regional spending in excess of $10 billion.”
“By refusing to provide the committee with clear evidence that funding for regional Australia has gone up over the next four years shows the Government is simply manipulating data to disguise the fact that this Budget has king hit important programs specifically designed for regional Australia.”
Labor’s Budget’s abolished more than $10 billion of infrastructure programs focused at driving economic growth in regional Australia including the Regional Accelerator Program, the Energy Security and Regional Development Plan and the Building Better Regions Fund.
The Budget has also cancelled or delayed over $5 billion of investment in water infrastructure, cancelling or deferring dams like Hells Gates, Dungowan and Urannah, Senator McKenzie said.
In evidence before the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee’s Estimates hearing officials from Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications were unable to provide any statistical evidence that to support Minister’s King’s claim that regional Australia would see an increase in total funding in this Budget
“Delaying important infrastructure projects will simply add to the cost of these projects and put at risk the productivity benefits these projects will provide for the Australian economy,” Senator McKenzie said.
“All we know is that funding intended for regional Australia has been sacrificed in order for the Labor Government to bring forward $2.2 billion of funding to Dan Andrews’ Suburban Rail Loop, a project criticised by the Victorian Auditor-General and one not even reviewed by Infrastructure Australia.
Senator McKenzie said the Opposition would continue to probe the new Government over regional funding cuts on behalf of the nine million Australians who live outside the capital cities.
End.