❓ The Premier outlines the McGowan Labor government's record investment in regional Western Australia, highlighting infrastructure projects, community services, and the sustainable management of royalties for regions, while also criticising past management of the fund by the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 525Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE BUDGET 2021–22 — REGIONS
525. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
strong financial management that is delivering record investment in the future of regional Western Australia. Can the
Premier outline to the house how this government is using its strong budget surplus to invest in job-creating infrastructure to support the
community to deliver quality frontline services and secure royalties for
regions?
525. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
strong financial management that is delivering record investment in the future of regional Western Australia. Can the
Premier outline to the house how this government is using its strong budget surplus to invest in job-creating infrastructure to support the
community to deliver quality frontline services and secure royalties for
regions?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Pilbara for the question and I congratulate him on his
outstanding success at the state election . I congratulate him once again, because I think it needs to be said, on
the 2017 result when he defeated Brendon Grylls . What an outstanding
outcome!
The budget delivers a record
investment in regional Western Australia. There is $9.1 billion for
infrastructure specifically in regional WA and $4.2 billion for royalties for
regions. The two only slightly overlap, so there is a massive infrastructure
and services spend across regional WA. Then there are billions in statewide
programs for regional and metropolitan that
we cannot separate out, but countless billions of dollars will be spent in
regional WA on infrastructure and services. It is actually a record
spend in regional WA.
Regional roads are getting $4.5 billion.
We are supporting the freight industry, with $200 million for agricultural
supply chain roads throughout the wheatbelt, midwest, great southern and
goldfields. The minister has put in place the
road safety program to save lives in regional WA, which is being copied all
over Australia. There is $ 36.3 million for a new boating facility in
Broome. There is $45 million to expand the Aboriginal ranger program around Western
Australia. I congratulate the member for Kimberley on her outstanding speech
before. There is also the renewable hydrogen hub, with $7.5 million to put in
place common-user infrastructure at Oakajee, and a whole range of other
industry programs.
In
terms of the community, there is $370 million a year for spending on services
by police in regional WA; there will be an additional 36 country
firefighters in Albany, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton; and there is $18 million for
police and community youth centres around the state, particularly in the
regions. I opened the new one in Carnarvon the other day. It was wonderful. The
great thing was that the local member was not there!
In
terms of health, the budget outlined that $2.1 billion a year will go to health
services specifically in regional WA . We are employing an additional 25 full-time
paramedics in regional WA and there is $48.5 million for the new Meekatharra health service. This government is
putting in place a new hospital for Meekatharra. There is $19.7 million for the patient assisted travel scheme to increase the accommodation subsidy
from $60 a night to $100 a night, and pregnant women will be able to bring
their partners with them now. This is a massive improvement for regional people
accessing health services in the city.
In relation to royalties for regions, we are delivering $4.2 billion
and we are responsible for it and it goes through proper budget processes. I note
what Hon Dr Steve Thomas—he is the gift that keeps on giving!—said
on ABC in the south west in February 2018. He said —
The Langoulant Report points out
quite clearly that Cabinet failed to take proper account of a lot of that Royalties
for Regions expenditure and that Treasury didn't have proper oversight
of that and that's why we had some of the outcomes that we had.
There were some very bad ones that
resulted, probably, in the wastage of billions of dollars not just in Royalties
for Regions but across the entirety of government.
That is what Steve Thomas, your
leader in the upper house, said about you in office, my friends. He was correct
in what he had to say about these things back then.
We will continue to invest heavily
in regional WA. We have some outstanding regional members. We have ensured that royalties for regions is sustainable and we
will continue to ensure that both regional and city Western Australians get proper representation and great services and infrastructure.
Visitors — Beaconsfield
Primary School
The
SPEAKER : Just before I give the next question, on behalf of the
member for Fremantle, I would like to welcome to the gallery the students and
staff from Beaconsfield Primary School. Welcome to Parliament today.
thank the member for Pilbara for the question and I congratulate him on his
outstanding success at the state election . I congratulate him once again, because I think it needs to be said, on
the 2017 result when he defeated Brendon Grylls . What an outstanding
outcome!
The budget delivers a record
investment in regional Western Australia. There is $9.1 billion for
infrastructure specifically in regional WA and $4.2 billion for royalties for
regions. The two only slightly overlap, so there is a massive infrastructure
and services spend across regional WA. Then there are billions in statewide
programs for regional and metropolitan that
we cannot separate out, but countless billions of dollars will be spent in
regional WA on infrastructure and services. It is actually a record
spend in regional WA.
Regional roads are getting $4.5 billion.
We are supporting the freight industry, with $200 million for agricultural
supply chain roads throughout the wheatbelt, midwest, great southern and
goldfields. The minister has put in place the
road safety program to save lives in regional WA, which is being copied all
over Australia. There is $ 36.3 million for a new boating facility in
Broome. There is $45 million to expand the Aboriginal ranger program around Western
Australia. I congratulate the member for Kimberley on her outstanding speech
before. There is also the renewable hydrogen hub, with $7.5 million to put in
place common-user infrastructure at Oakajee, and a whole range of other
industry programs.
In
terms of the community, there is $370 million a year for spending on services
by police in regional WA; there will be an additional 36 country
firefighters in Albany, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton; and there is $18 million for
police and community youth centres around the state, particularly in the
regions. I opened the new one in Carnarvon the other day. It was wonderful. The
great thing was that the local member was not there!
In
terms of health, the budget outlined that $2.1 billion a year will go to health
services specifically in regional WA . We are employing an additional 25 full-time
paramedics in regional WA and there is $48.5 million for the new Meekatharra health service. This government is
putting in place a new hospital for Meekatharra. There is $19.7 million for the patient assisted travel scheme to increase the accommodation subsidy
from $60 a night to $100 a night, and pregnant women will be able to bring
their partners with them now. This is a massive improvement for regional people
accessing health services in the city.
In relation to royalties for regions, we are delivering $4.2 billion
and we are responsible for it and it goes through proper budget processes. I note
what Hon Dr Steve Thomas—he is the gift that keeps on giving!—said
on ABC in the south west in February 2018. He said —
The Langoulant Report points out
quite clearly that Cabinet failed to take proper account of a lot of that Royalties
for Regions expenditure and that Treasury didn't have proper oversight
of that and that's why we had some of the outcomes that we had.
There were some very bad ones that
resulted, probably, in the wastage of billions of dollars not just in Royalties
for Regions but across the entirety of government.
That is what Steve Thomas, your
leader in the upper house, said about you in office, my friends. He was correct
in what he had to say about these things back then.
We will continue to invest heavily
in regional WA. We have some outstanding regional members. We have ensured that royalties for regions is sustainable and we
will continue to ensure that both regional and city Western Australians get proper representation and great services and infrastructure.
Visitors — Beaconsfield
Primary School
The
SPEAKER : Just before I give the next question, on behalf of the
member for Fremantle, I would like to welcome to the gallery the students and
staff from Beaconsfield Primary School. Welcome to Parliament today.
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