Truss commitment to regional development is rock solid
3rd September, 2013
Federal Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss, today said that his commitment to regional development and building a better Wide Bay is rock solid.“Only last week I announced a new $1 billion National Stronger Regions Fund, which forms part of a comprehensive Coalition plan to grow jobs and improve community facilities in regions like Wide Bay. The Coalition’s National Stronger Regions Fund is fully costed and fully funded and will provide Councils in Wide Bay with access to funds to build stronger communities.
“In contrast, none of Labor’s spending promises can be believed. The projects they have announced are supposed to be funded from Labor’s mining tax — which has not raised anywhere near the amount of money needed to pay for their promises.
“With Labor’s long litany of broken promises, waste and mismanagement, I would be surprised how anyone could have any confidence that Labor would be true to its word. Labor simply does not have the track record or the funding to keep its promises.
“When Labor was first elected it promised to maintain the former Coalition Government’s highly successful Regional Partnerships and Sustainable Regions programs. But after the election, Kevin Rudd went back on his word and cancelled them.
“Labor has ignored our region for the last six years. When the Coalition left office in 2007 our regional unemployment rate was 3.5%, which was below the national average. Today, after six years of neglect from Labor, The Greens and the minor parties, our unemployment rate is more than 9%.
“We need a change for the better. Only the Liberal & National Parties have a positive plan for Wide Bay and regional Australia. A Coalition Government will deliver:
• A $10 billion plan to upgrade the Bruce Highway including more than $2 billion for the Bruce through Wide Bay
• The $1 billion National Stronger Regions Fund
• $100 million for to extend mobile phone coverage black spot areas
• $150,000 to improve lighting at the Maryborough & District Hockey Grounds
• $120,000 to fund a new home for Cooloola Cove Medical Transport
• Green Army projects to improve the Mary River
• The expansion of CCTV cameras to improve safety and security in Maryborough, Gympie and Noosa
• A $300 million Bridges Renewal Program, generating $600 million
• $147 million investment in agriculture, including in R&D, export measures, biosecurity, access to new technologies and chemicals and increased funding to support agricultural education
• $106 million for rural and regional health initiatives covering training, hospitals, allied health workers, cheaper medicines and bowel cancer screening
• Fast broadband will be delivered sooner and cheaper, with regional communities the biggest winners
• The immediate suspension and review of marine park areas, because we know it is in the fishing industry’s interest to protect our marine environment
• Our Northern Australia Policy, including building dams and investing in growth
“Our plan will deliver a better future for Wide Bay.”
