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State Budget R4R Funding to Benefit Regional WA, Woodhams

Author: Grant Woodhams
Published on: 20-May-2010

Member for Moore, Grant Woodhams MLA has welcomed the state budget allocation of
$896.7 million to the Royalties for Regions program for 2010/11.

“The Royalties for Regions program is proving vital to ensuring the needs of regional WA are
recognised and funded accordingly,” Mr Woodhams said.

Royalties for Regions is a National Party WA initiative and is funded by the equivalent of a
25% share of revenue raised from WA’s mining and on-shore petroleum royalty revenue
returning back to the regions.

The program is split into three key funds - the Country Local Government Fund, the Regional
Community Services Fund and the Regional Infrastructure and Headworks Fund and is
designed to help regional communities grow and prosper by promoting local decisionmaking
and attracting the resources and investment needed to support development in
regional areas.

“There are a number of new and ongoing projects which will be beneficial to regional areas
across the state,” Mr Woodhams said.

These include:

Country Local Government Fund - ($102million)
Country Age Pension Fuel Card - ($23.5million)
Regional Schools Plan - ($20.5million)
Regional Residential College Upgrades - ($2.5million)
Regional Communications - ($8.3million)
Recreational Boating Facilities Scheme - ($5million)
Upgrade new Orange School buses - ($3.29million)
Better Beginnings- Early Literacy - ($0.63million)
Rural Generalist Pathways - Junior Doctor training - ($0.07million)
Continued support for the Royal Flying Doctor Service - ($9.3million)
Funding for the Community Resource Centre Network - ($12million)
Ongoing funding for the Boarding Away from Home Allowance - ($1.9million)
Continued support for the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme - ($9million)
Ongoing funding for Housing for Workers (GROH) - ($79million)
Regional Airport Development Scheme – ongoing funding - ($5.5million)
Wild Dogs Management Plan - ($4.8million)
Regional Men’s Health - ($0.73million)

Mr Woodhams said Royalties for Regions was delivering a program that allowed communities to plan for sustainable social and economic opportunities into the future by putting back the money that regional WA generated.