THE Federal Government will deliver its budget on May 14, and Federal Member for Nicholls, Sam Birrell has said that regional councils have been left in an impossible situation by the failure of the Government to finalise important grants for major infrastructure projects.
“Regional councils and community organisations have been waiting more than 40 weeks since Labor opened the Growing Regions Program, and in nine months not one application has been approved and funded,” Mr Birrell said.
“The deadline for announcement of successful grant applicants was a month ago, and applicants are still none the wiser.
“It is causing particular angst for Councils who are trying to prepare budgets without knowing whether major capitol works will need to be included.”
The Growing Regions grants include a specific stream of funding for facilities impacted by major natural disasters.
“These communities have been through enough without being strung along by the Albanese Government,” Mr Birrell said.
“I have written to Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, seeking an explanation for the delays and for her to provide applicants with clarity around the timing of the announcement of successful applicants.”
Mr Birrell said no grants were approved in the first assessment of Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program and regional Australia is effectively being starved of funding by the Albanese Government.
“Over Labor’s first two years in office they have stripped more than $20 billion in infrastructure and programs from regional communities and have struggled to deliver the drastically reduced funding they put in place through new programs like Growing Regions,” he said.
“Under the guidelines for Growing Regions the ‘latest start date of project’ is May 15, 2024 – that is less than month away – and no grants have even been awarded.”
