The Albanese Government continues to starve regional Australia of much needed economic development funding with its failure to deliver on grants programs promised to the regions.
Federal Member for Flynn, Colin Boyce said communities in the Flynn electorate are suffering from Labor’s failure to allocate grants for much needed community infrastructure projects.
“The Labor Government in Canberra has imposed a two-year funding drought on regional communities as a result of the Prime Minister’s decisions to abolish programs designed to strengthen rural, remote and regional Australia and a failure to deliver initiatives of their own,” Mr Boyce said.
“The Albanese Government promised programs to support the regions, but after almost two years there is nothing to show for it.
“Labor Ministers are sitting on grants programs, refusing to part with money promised for the regions, choosing instead to hoard the cash to prop up the budget surplus in Canberra.
“Right across the nation regional councils and community organisations have been waiting more than 40 weeks since Labor opened the so-called Growing Regions Program, and over nine months not one application has been approved and funded.
“Local organisations were given just 20 working days to prepare and submit initial applications, but the Albanese Government has been unable to complete project assessments in 250 days.
“Many councils are trying to finalise their budgets for the next financial year and do not know if they will be investing in planned projects or have those community infrastructure and economic development initiatives thrown on the scrap heap by the Prime Minister.
“By failing to award grant moneys under this program, Labor is effectively stealing $300 million in much needed funding from the regions.”
Mr Boyce said this is not the only program Labor has failed to deliver, with not a single grant approved in the first assessment round of the $400 million Precincts and Partnerships program, undertaken in September/October last year.
“The Albanese Government is starving the regions of funding,” Mr Boyce said.
“Over Labor’s first two years in office, they have stripped more than $20 billion in infrastructure and programs from regional communities.
“Labor has abolished or allowed to lapse important job and community building programs such as the Building Better Regions Fund, Community Development Grants, Regionalisation Fund, Roads of Strategic Importance Program and the Stronger Communities Program, just to name a few.”
