The Palaszczuk Government is pretending to bring forward funding through a program that stalled in its first year, leaving a huge gap in the pipeline of infrastructure projects delivered in regional and rural communities across the Southern Queensland region.
LNP Shadow Northern Development Minister Andrew Cripps said today’s announcement that $70 million would be made available for Round 3 of Labor’s disastrous Building our Regions program would be met with scepticism by local councils.
“Despite claiming they ‘topped up’ the Building our Regions program in last year’s state budget, it still falls a huge $120 million dollars short of the former LNP Government’s landmark $495 million Royalties for Regions program,” Mr Cripps said.
“The Palaszczuk Government’s program is a pale, cheap and nasty replacement for the LNP’s hugely successful Royalties for Regions program and it’s failed dismally to deliver much needed infrastructure projects and jobs in the bush.
“In Government, the LNP delivered the $50 million Toowoomba Outer Circulating Road, the $4.8 million Roma Airport Terminal Upgrade Project, the $21 million O’Mara Road Upgrade at Charlton Wellcamp and the $15.7 million Roma Flood Mitigation Project.
“Labor’s smaller, shorter and narrower program stalled in its first year, with the Palaszczuk Government’s own 2016-17 budget papers revealing the Building our Regions program had a 99 per cent underspend in its first year – it was a flop.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk can’t turn around now and say she is bringing forward Round 3 when Round 1 never really happened and no-one knows where Round 2 is up to – Labor is tripping over the paperwork, but can’t deliver any projects.
“Labor’s Building our Regions program has been a disaster for local communities and councils but the LNP had committed to reinstating its effective Royalties for Regions program if it is returned to office at the next state election.”
Projects delivered to the Southern Queensland region through LNP’s Royalties for Regions program:
SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND:
– Ruthven Street Flood Mitigation Project – $4.4 million
– Sewerage Enabling Project, Wellcamp Enterprise Area – $9.2 million
– Middle Ridge State School drop-off zone – $400,000
– Toowoomba Outer Circulating Road – $50 million
– West Creek Railway Bridge – $5 million
– Goggs Street Flood Mitigation $4.6 million
– O’Mara Road Upgrade at Charlton Wellcamp – $21 million
– Upgrade of Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road – $4 million
– Goondiwindi Waste Management Infrastructure – $455,000
– Repair Mount Carmel Road – $547,000
– Chinchilla Washdown Bay – $2.2 million
– Miles Water, Sewerage and Recycled Water Scheme Stage 1 – $3.9 million
– Winfields Road Landfill Upgrade – $6.5 million
– Beelbee Road Sealing – $535,000
– Bennetts School Road Sealing – $1.4 million
– Fairymeadow Road Seal Widening – $3 million
– Goombi Fairymeadow Road Seal Widening – $2.8 million
– Joseph Road Upgrade – $521,000
– Mary Road Upgrade – $1 million
– Weranga North Road Upgrade – $1.3 million
– Avenue Road Rehabilitation – $1.8 million
– Brownlies Road Upgrade $1.4 million
– Condamine Waste and Recycling Centre (Transfer Station) – $700,000
– Ducklo-Gulera Road Upgrade – $2.6 million
– Miles Waste and Recycling Centre (Transfer Station) – $2.5 million
– Old Cameby Road Upgrade – $2.5 million
– Upper Humbug Road Upgrade – $790,000
– Fairview Road Upgrade – $27.9 million
– Injune – Taroom Road Upgrade – $23.2 million
– Roma Sewerage Treatment Plant Sludge Drying Beds – $600,000
– Injune Sewerage Treatment Plant Upgrade – $615,000
– Roma Airport Terminal Upgrade Project – $4.8 million
– Roma Saleyards Truck Washdown Facility Upgrade – $3 million
– Maranoa Water Augmentation Project $858,000
– Roma Sewerage Augmentation Project – $5.4 million
– Wallumbilla North Bitumen Seal – $5.6 million
– Roma Flood Mitigation Project – Levee Construction – $15.7 million
– St George Flood Mitigation Levee – Stage 2 – $1.9 million
– Charleville Airport Upgrade – $2.3 million
– Thargomindah Aerodrome Runway Lighting System Upgrade – $272,000
