❓ A parliamentary question regarding the achievements of the Liberal-National government in regional development in Western Australia, answered by the Minister outlining various programs and projects funded through royalties for regions and other initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 1005Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT
OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1005. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for
Regional Development:
Can the minister please outline to
the house some of the many achievements for the Liberal–National government
in regional development this year?
OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1005. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for
Regional Development:
Can the minister please outline to
the house some of the many achievements for the Liberal–National government
in regional development this year?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Moore very
much for the question. It is very appropriate that a regional member in this
chamber with an electorate as big as his asks about our regional development
program.
Mr
P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Albany!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : It is absolutely appropriate that a state like Western
Australia should have a substantial program to support growth and development
of the regions. The regional development portfolio does exactly that and, of
course, the royalties for regions program also supports that development. For
the benefit of the house, I advise that at this time of the 2013–14
year, royalties for regions has distributed funding in excess of $1.1 billion
to support a range of programs in regional WA. Since 2008 it has supported
thousands of projects that have made a significant difference to the regions.
A couple of the achievements this
year have been the huge effort in developing the regional investment blueprints—a
plan to identify those things in regional Western Australia that stimulate and
support sustainable growth and development. This year, a significant amount of
effort has gone into developing that. We have created in the current state
budget a $600 million Growing our South fund, which has been slowly rolled out.
Also, we are rolling out, project by project, the $300 million Seizing the
Opportunity Agriculture program and the Southern Inland Health Initiative is
being delivered, supported by both capital and recurrent funds. We have
completed stage 1 of the regional mobile communications program.
Although these programs are
substantial—they are big programs—they are also about people
and the difference these investments make to the lives of people who live in
regional Western Australia. I will outline a couple of highlights. One that I
mentioned yesterday was the opening of the Augusta boat harbour on Friday. The
look on people's faces told the story. The Premier even made a comment
that someone was in tears over that project and that this government had
delivered it. The other one was the opening of the Gascoyne Junction facility
that the shire there has just built to support a town that was devastated in a
flood. Again, it was great to see the faces of the people there and understand
the ownership they felt of the challenges they faced. The state government had
stepped in and played a key role in trying to rebuild their community to give
them something to look forward to. People travelled many, many hours to see the
opening of that facility. The other achievement that sits in most of our minds,
due to not just RFR funding but also broader state government support, is the
Anzac Centenary celebration. Again, it was great to see the pride in the people
of Albany in profiling their community to the world, to support what was a very
significant event in Western Australia recognising the people who last saw the
shores of Western Australia before they went overseas to battle and support the
war effort.
Sometimes it is the small things
that touch our hearts. Members may recall a little while ago, in September, a farmer
in Gingin by the name of Barry Sykes was pinned under his tractor, but he
managed to get to his mobile phone, which was difficult to do given the way he
was pinned. His phone enabled him to make a call for help. There is no doubt
that that call for help played a significant role in helping him get out of
that situation, and probably even saved his life. It is not generally known
that the mobile phone tower—the Woodridge tower—in the member
for Moore's electorate came under the RMCP we put in place. It had been
put in place only four months earlier than that. It is little investments such
as these that in some cases make a substantial difference to people's
lives. In this case, it probably saved someone's life. We feel very,
very proud of the investments we make to support people who live in regional
Western Australia to ensure that not only their lives but also their safety are
enhanced.
much for the question. It is very appropriate that a regional member in this
chamber with an electorate as big as his asks about our regional development
program.
Mr
P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Albany!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : It is absolutely appropriate that a state like Western
Australia should have a substantial program to support growth and development
of the regions. The regional development portfolio does exactly that and, of
course, the royalties for regions program also supports that development. For
the benefit of the house, I advise that at this time of the 2013–14
year, royalties for regions has distributed funding in excess of $1.1 billion
to support a range of programs in regional WA. Since 2008 it has supported
thousands of projects that have made a significant difference to the regions.
A couple of the achievements this
year have been the huge effort in developing the regional investment blueprints—a
plan to identify those things in regional Western Australia that stimulate and
support sustainable growth and development. This year, a significant amount of
effort has gone into developing that. We have created in the current state
budget a $600 million Growing our South fund, which has been slowly rolled out.
Also, we are rolling out, project by project, the $300 million Seizing the
Opportunity Agriculture program and the Southern Inland Health Initiative is
being delivered, supported by both capital and recurrent funds. We have
completed stage 1 of the regional mobile communications program.
Although these programs are
substantial—they are big programs—they are also about people
and the difference these investments make to the lives of people who live in
regional Western Australia. I will outline a couple of highlights. One that I
mentioned yesterday was the opening of the Augusta boat harbour on Friday. The
look on people's faces told the story. The Premier even made a comment
that someone was in tears over that project and that this government had
delivered it. The other one was the opening of the Gascoyne Junction facility
that the shire there has just built to support a town that was devastated in a
flood. Again, it was great to see the faces of the people there and understand
the ownership they felt of the challenges they faced. The state government had
stepped in and played a key role in trying to rebuild their community to give
them something to look forward to. People travelled many, many hours to see the
opening of that facility. The other achievement that sits in most of our minds,
due to not just RFR funding but also broader state government support, is the
Anzac Centenary celebration. Again, it was great to see the pride in the people
of Albany in profiling their community to the world, to support what was a very
significant event in Western Australia recognising the people who last saw the
shores of Western Australia before they went overseas to battle and support the
war effort.
Sometimes it is the small things
that touch our hearts. Members may recall a little while ago, in September, a farmer
in Gingin by the name of Barry Sykes was pinned under his tractor, but he
managed to get to his mobile phone, which was difficult to do given the way he
was pinned. His phone enabled him to make a call for help. There is no doubt
that that call for help played a significant role in helping him get out of
that situation, and probably even saved his life. It is not generally known
that the mobile phone tower—the Woodridge tower—in the member
for Moore's electorate came under the RMCP we put in place. It had been
put in place only four months earlier than that. It is little investments such
as these that in some cases make a substantial difference to people's
lives. In this case, it probably saved someone's life. We feel very,
very proud of the investments we make to support people who live in regional
Western Australia to ensure that not only their lives but also their safety are
enhanced.
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