New hope for Noosa Boardwalk funding
5th June, 2008
The Noosa boardwalk project has been thrown a federal funding lifeline following a massive back flip by the federal Labor Government. In an amazing reversal, Labor has now decided to offer funding to 107 Regional Partnerships projects approved by the previous Coalition Government, including the $550,000 for the Noosa boardwalk.The Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, said Labor had spent the last six months vilifying the former Government and local communities involved in getting these Regional Partnerships projects off the ground.
“The same local community organisations that Labor has been accusing of rorting are now at last to be offered funding,” Mr Truss said.
The Noosa boardwalk project was among those Regional Partnerships projects approved by the previous Coalition Government. They have now been waiting more than six months for the new Government to decide what to do.
“Let’s look at the history of this Labor shambles. Before the election, Labor said they would keep the Regional Partnerships program.
“After the election, Labor said the 116 projects that were approved and announced but not yet contracted would be re-examined. It is obvious that this review never occurred and the Minister admitted on national television last week that he had not even read the files.
“Then in the Budget, Labor said the entire program was scrapped and none of the 116 projects would get any money. Another 494 projects waiting to be assessed were also left in the cold.
“The week after the Budget, under intense Coalition and media pressure, Minister Anthony Albanese made a late night phone call to Sunrise program host David Koch, saying ‘he didn’t realise how many community groups were affected’. He offered to look at the 116 again – even though he had promised to do this months earlier.
“Now we have the announcement that 107 will be offered funding contracts. Mr Albanese has continued to attack the Coalition and the program, yet his decision makes it clear that the Coalition was right and Regional Partnerships was a good program supporting good projects.”
Mr Truss encouraged the new Sunshine Coast Council to immediately take up the Minister’s offer to have the Noosa boardwalk project contracted.
ENDS
