Crean to deliver $1 billion regional fund to cities, Crook
Author: Tony Crook
Published on: 03-June-2011
Federal Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean has announced funding from the Regional Development Australia (RDA) Fund would likely be spent in metropolitan areas.
During Question Time this week Federal Member for O’Connor Tony Crook raised concerns that the RDA Fund may be spent inappropriately.
“With RDA committees based in capital cities across Australia, I have serious concerns that money from the RDA Fund will be used to further fund city projects.”
Minister Crean said he would “not rule metropolitan cities out of receiving funds under the RDA Fund.”
Mr Crook said this news would be discouraging to the many regional organisations and local governments who have applied for the fund.
“To find out they are now competing against their much better resourced metropolitan counterparts for a slice of the RDA Fund will be a great let down for these organisations.”
Mr Crook said he had received feedback from RDA committees within O’Connor who were disappointed with this news.
“These regional based RDA committees have every right to be upset. Allowing metropolitan organisations to access the RDA Fund will greatly diminish the funding pool for regional projects.”
Mr Crook said he expected regional MPs and Senators across Australia to share his disappointment.
“Those Members of Parliament who represent regional Australia should be just as concerned about Minister Crean’s response as I am.”
Mr Crook said Minister Crean’s outlook on regional Australia painted a troubling picture for regional areas.
“This has greatly discredited the Gillard Government’s renewed attitude to regional Australia.”
Mr Crook said regional Independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor should be particularly alarmed.
“The resources for the RDA Fund were allocated as part of a $1.4 billion agreement the Gillard Government struck with Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor following the Federal Election.
“Considering the role they have played in delivering this fund, I expect they would be very disappointed to see the RDA Fund turned into another revenue stream for metropolitan projects.
Mr Crook said the Gillard Government should remove the word ‘regional’ from the fund title.
“If they are going to allow this fund to be used in metropolitan areas, the Government needs to drop the false pretences and rename the fund the Western Sydney Suburbs Development Fund, as that is where the funding will most likely go.”
Mr Crook said he continued to be disappointed with the silence from WA Liberal Senators on this issue.
“If the Liberal Party is truly committed to improving the lives of those living in regional WA, they should be fighting to ensure this funding is directed to where it is most needed, regional areas, not city projects.”
Mr Crook said the Federal Government continued to let down regional Australians with false promises.
“While the Federal Government boasts about the Regional Infrastructure Fund and the RDA Fund, the truth is these funding streams are not limited to regional areas.
“As long as metropolitan organisations are able to claim funding that should be going towards vital services and infrastructure in regional areas, regional Australia will continue to miss out.”
The RDA Fund is a $1 billion program which will use proceeds from the Minerals Resource Rent Tax to fund major regional projects.
The first round of successful applicants for the RDA Fund will be announced in July.
Mr Crook said he would be closely scrutinising the RDA Funding rollout.
“Every dollar that is spent on a metropolitan project is a dollar that cannot be spent in regional communities,” Mr Crook said.
“Regional Australia needs to send a message to Canberra that using regional funds on capital cities is not acceptable.”
See this article on the member's website