Pleas to fund better road and rail infrastructure for Ballarat and region should be addressed directly to the Turnbull Government, Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, said today.
Ms King slammed the Turnbull Government’s record of funding such infrastructure in Victoria as a disgrace.
“For instance, Mr Turnbull promised at the election to spend $858 million on 78 road projects around the country,” Ms King said.
“In the end, an incredible 76 of these projects were in Coalition-held electorates with, for example, 46 road projects in NSW and none in Victoria.
“Now this Government is reneging on its obligations to the Victoria by breaking its promise to provide 15% of the proceeds from the lease of the Port of Melbourne – around $1.4 billion – to Victoria.
“About two-thirds of this money was to be directed to regional infrastructure projects in regions like Ballarat under the plans of the Andrews State Government.
“Thanks to the Turnbull Government it has been blocked. It is treating the legitimate needs of regional Victorians with contempt.”
Ms King said the situation also served to demonstrate again the shoddy economic approach of the Turnbull Government.
“In the post mining boom environment Australia must support policies that boost economic growth. Strategic investment in regional infrastructure projects must be one of them.
“The Turnbull Government’s political approach in stifling regional infrastructure funding in Victoria works against the nation’s best economic interests.
“In one year the Turnbull Government has delivered next to nothing in vital infrastructure funding for regional Victoria. In typical style, not only is it achieving nothing for this state, it is actually taking us backwards.
“The Turnbull Government alone is to blame for frustrating the development of Ballarat and all other parts of regional Victoria. It is a disgrace.”
TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2016