WA Labor will kill Royalties for Regions by redirecting funding into programs that should be funded under normal Government expenditure.
Leader of The Nationals Brendon Grylls said WA Labor were already proposing to make changes to the hugely successful Royalties for Regions program that would undermine the fundamental purpose of why the program was established.
“WA Labor will kill Royalties for Regions to fund road infrastructure that should be funded by general Government expenditure, rather than continuing vital investment into regional development projects across regional WA,” Mr Grylls said.
“It’s clear Labor will mainstream Royalties for Regions to fund road infrastructure and use the money to pay for unfunded big ticket promises in Perth such as Metronet.
“The big question for regional West Australians is – what Royalties for Regions projects will Labor cut to redirect this funding to roads.”
Mr Grylls said Labor had no credibility in regional WA and questioned how the Party could claim it would protect Royalties for Regions when it was already planning to change it.
“Under the Carpenter Government, Labor only allocated a total investment of $80 million into regional development over four years between 2004 and 2008 for the entire State,” Mr Grylls said.
“After years of neglect and underinvestment by Labor, they still fought against Royalties for Regions in 2008, and they can’t be trusted to retain it in its current form into the future.
Mr Grylls said unlike the major parties, The Nationals team was solely focussed on the issues that matter to regional WA because they didn’t have to contend with city-based politicians with Perth-centric priorities.
“Our flagship Royalties for Regions program is a once-in-a-century policy has enabled us to transform regional communities into great places to live, work and invest,” Mr Grylls said.
“Perth-focused Labor believes regional WA has already had its fair share, but The Nationals WA understand there is more work to be done.
“The Nationals created Royalties for Regions, we delivered it, and only we will fight to protect it.”
Royalties for Regions has invested almost $7 billion into more than 3,700 projects across regional WA since 2008.
For more information visit www.nationalswa.com/royalties_for_regions
