❓ Mr Murray questions the Minister for Regional Development about the ineligibility of 36 local governments for funding due to changed criteria and unmet acquittal deadlines. The Minister acknowledges the issue, states the fund is being phased out, but is reassessing the situation considering extenuating circumstances.
AnsweredQoN 67Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COUNTRY LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND — ELIGIBILITY
CRITERIA
67. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to the 36 local governments deemed ineligible for the
2012–13 country local government fund funding following the minister's
abrupt change to the eligibility criteria.
(1) Why were
the local government authorities suddenly deemed ineligible for the 2012–13
funding?
(2) Has the
minister made any promises to seek to have the funding reinstated for all or
any affected local governments as part of the 2014–15 budget process?
(3) Has the
minister informed the Treasurer of his promise?
CRITERIA
67. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to the 36 local governments deemed ineligible for the
2012–13 country local government fund funding following the minister's
abrupt change to the eligibility criteria.
(1) Why were
the local government authorities suddenly deemed ineligible for the 2012–13
funding?
(2) Has the
minister made any promises to seek to have the funding reinstated for all or
any affected local governments as part of the 2014–15 budget process?
(3) Has the
minister informed the Treasurer of his promise?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I thank the member for Collie–Preston for the question on the country
local government fund. He will be aware that at the last budget the Liberal–National
government took the decision to finish the country local government fund. In
the budget for the next two years—2013–14 and 2014–15—there
i s a washout of the regional
component of that. There are still funds to be washed out in projects. The last decision was taken by
cabinet just recently, but that
is being played out.
The member's question is
about the 36 local governments that, as a product of not meeting the acquittal
deadlines set by the previous Minister for Regional Development of 30 June last
year, are ineligible for the individual component of the 2012–13
country local government fund. I am happy to clarify this if I have it wrong,
but the previous minister expressed to them that they would need to make a case
to him about any extenuating circumstances and explain why they could not meet
that acquittal deadline. Bear in mind that some of those local governments had
the expectation that they had two years from when the decision was made to have
the acquittal met for the previous funds. In some cases, that was after the
deadline set by the Minister for Regional Development. That feedback has come
to my office now as the new Minister for Regional Development. I have
considered that and I am prepared to reassess that and look at it in the
context of the new budget process. That has not been presented anywhere but in
my office. We are looking at the
circumstances around some of the local governments. Tragic circumstances have
led some of them to not be able to meet the deadlines set by the previous
minister. On the back of that, I am looking at it and I have told local governments
that I am doing so. Again, that will be subject to the current budget process, and I have not made any presentations to
anyone on that.
I thank the member for Collie–Preston for the question on the country
local government fund. He will be aware that at the last budget the Liberal–National
government took the decision to finish the country local government fund. In
the budget for the next two years—2013–14 and 2014–15—there
i s a washout of the regional
component of that. There are still funds to be washed out in projects. The last decision was taken by
cabinet just recently, but that
is being played out.
The member's question is
about the 36 local governments that, as a product of not meeting the acquittal
deadlines set by the previous Minister for Regional Development of 30 June last
year, are ineligible for the individual component of the 2012–13
country local government fund. I am happy to clarify this if I have it wrong,
but the previous minister expressed to them that they would need to make a case
to him about any extenuating circumstances and explain why they could not meet
that acquittal deadline. Bear in mind that some of those local governments had
the expectation that they had two years from when the decision was made to have
the acquittal met for the previous funds. In some cases, that was after the
deadline set by the Minister for Regional Development. That feedback has come
to my office now as the new Minister for Regional Development. I have
considered that and I am prepared to reassess that and look at it in the
context of the new budget process. That has not been presented anywhere but in
my office. We are looking at the
circumstances around some of the local governments. Tragic circumstances have
led some of them to not be able to meet the deadlines set by the previous
minister. On the back of that, I am looking at it and I have told local governments
that I am doing so. Again, that will be subject to the current budget process, and I have not made any presentations to
anyone on that.
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