p>Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King today expressed complete disbelief that every Stronger Regional Funds Grant application from Ballarat missed out on funding as part of Tony Abbott’s 2015 Federal Budget.
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Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King today expressed complete disbelief that every Stronger Regional Funds Grant application from Ballarat missed out on funding as part of Tony Abbott’s 2015 Federal Budget.
“Out of more than 50 grants issued nationally, and 18 in Victoria, not one application from the Ballarat region was awarded a grant” Ms King said.
Ballarat Basketball had put in an application for funding for the Wendouree Sporting Precinct. It was not successful.
Hepburn Shire’s application for funds to go towards the Trentham Hub project was also ignored.
“The Wendouree Sporting Precinct would see a national level sporting facility built that would provide lasting benefit to the people of Ballarat.
“It would turn Wendouree into a regional hub for competitive sport and bring major events into Ballarat. Without Federal assistance from the Stronger Regions grant program that won’t happen.
“Trentham had plans to develop a new community hub to bring together local services and organisations, providing better facilities that would match the growth of the town.
“After having this grant application denied, the people of Trentham will have to go back to square one to get this project moving.
“It is bitterly disappointing to see that these two vital infrastructure projects were not successful in their application for funds. It just shows that the Abbott Government has forgotten about our region and our towns yet again,” Ms King said.
“Both these projects would have supported local jobs and would have promoted our region for tourists and sports fans alike. They are both good and worthy projects and it beggars belief that the Abbott Government would neglect them.
“Tony Abbott and Warren Truss have again shown the contempt they have for my electorate by ignoring these important infrastructure projects.”
“I call on the Abbott Government to reconsider its decision to leave Ballarat out of the Stronger Regions Fund Programme.”