CATHERINE KING – MEDIA RELEASE – 55 PER CENT OF “REGIONAL” GRANTS WENT TO THE CITIES – TUESDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2021

Analysis released today by the Australian National Audit Office has revealed that 55 per cent of all “regional” grants announced by the Morrison-Joyce Government since 2018 has gone to projects located in the major cities.

In total, 3,682 “regional” grants have gone to major city projects, compared to only 309 projects in areas classified as “remote” or “very remote”.

Regional grants funding should go to projects in Singleton, Cloncurry, Gladstone or Launceston – not to Surry Hills, Carlton or inner-city Brisbane.

The Morrison-Joyce Government talks a big game when it comes to regional development, but these figures show that they continually favour projects based in the major cities.

It’s one thing for the Morrison-Joyce Government to namecheck regional towns, it’s another for them to actually invest in them.

Today’s revelations from the ANAO follow hot on the heels of new analysis revealing that roughly 90 per cent of Building Better Regions Round 5 grants went to Coalition held or targeted seats and that Coalition backbenchers were given the opportunity to lobby for projects that didn’t meet the funding criteria.

You simply can’t trust the Morrison-Joyce Government.TUESDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2021