Hon. Shelley Archer questions the Minister about maintaining funding levels for existing regional grants programs under the new Royalties for Regions program. The Minister assures an increase in funding through new programs, while clarifying some programs fall outside the portfolio.

AnsweredQoN 66Legislative Council
Asked
24 November 2008
Portfolio
Regional Development

QuestionView source ↗

ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS — EXISTING REGIONAL GRANTS PROGRAMS 66. Hon SHELLEY ARCHER to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Regional Development: Can the minister guarantee that over the next four years the level of funding to the regions from existing grants programs, such as the regional development scheme, the regional headworks program, the regional infrastructure funding program, the WA regional initiatives scheme, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund, the Indigenous regional development program and the community grants program, will be maintained and not absorbed within the royalties for regions program? Hon WENDY DUNCAN

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. Existing programs under the previous government’s regional investment fund, such as the regional development scheme, the regional headworks program, the regional infrastructure funding program, the Indigenous regional development program and the WA regional initiatives scheme, are in the last year of their funding. The Minister for Regional Development recently announced that royalties for regions will be delivered initially through three new funds over and beyond the global amount of spending that Labor had committed to the regions. They are the regional infrastructure and headworks fund, the country local government fund and the regional community services fund. Overall, there will be an increase in the level of funding to the regions through these new programs, details of which are expected to be announced shortly. The other programs referred to in the honourable member’s question—namely, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund and the community grants program—do not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Regional Development.
ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS — EXISTING REGIONAL GRANTS PROGRAMS
Can the minister guarantee that over the next four years the level of funding to the regions from existing grants programs, such as the regional development scheme, the regional headworks program, the regional infrastructure funding program, the WA regional initiatives scheme, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund, the Indigenous regional development program and the community grants program, will be maintained and not absorbed within the royalties for regions program? Hon WENDY DUNCAN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. Existing programs under the previous government’s regional investment fund, such as the regional development scheme, the regional headworks program, the regional infrastructure funding program, the Indigenous regional development program and the WA regional initiatives scheme, are in the last year of their funding. The Minister for Regional Development recently announced that royalties for regions will be delivered initially through three new funds over and beyond the global amount of spending that Labor had committed to the regions. They are the regional infrastructure and headworks fund, the country local government fund and the regional community services fund. Overall, there will be an increase in the level of funding to the regions through these new programs, details of which are expected to be announced shortly. The other programs referred to in the honourable member’s question—namely, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund and the community grants program—do not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Regional Development.
Hon WENDY DUNCAN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. Existing programs under the previous government’s regional investment fund, such as the regional development scheme, the regional headworks program, the regional infrastructure funding program, the Indigenous regional development program and the WA regional initiatives scheme, are in the last year of their funding. The Minister for Regional Development recently announced that royalties for regions will be delivered initially through three new funds over and beyond the global amount of spending that Labor had committed to the regions. They are the regional infrastructure and headworks fund, the country local government fund and the regional community services fund. Overall, there will be an increase in the level of funding to the regions through these new programs, details of which are expected to be announced shortly. The other programs referred to in the honourable member’s question—namely, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund and the community grants program—do not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Regional Development.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. Existing programs under the previous government’s regional investment fund, such as the regional development scheme, the regional headworks program, the regional infrastructure funding program, the Indigenous regional development program and the WA regional initiatives scheme, are in the last year of their funding. The Minister for Regional Development recently announced that royalties for regions will be delivered initially through three new funds over and beyond the global amount of spending that Labor had committed to the regions. They are the regional infrastructure and headworks fund, the country local government fund and the regional community services fund. Overall, there will be an increase in the level of funding to the regions through these new programs, details of which are expected to be announced shortly. The other programs referred to in the honourable member’s question—namely, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund and the community grants program—do not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Regional Development.
Existing programs under the previous government’s regional investment fund, such as the regional development scheme, the regional headworks program, the regional infrastructure funding program, the Indigenous regional development program and the WA regional initiatives scheme, are in the last year of their funding. The Minister for Regional Development recently announced that royalties for regions will be delivered initially through three new funds over and beyond the global amount of spending that Labor had committed to the regions. They are the regional infrastructure and headworks fund, the country local government fund and the regional community services fund. Overall, there will be an increase in the level of funding to the regions through these new programs, details of which are expected to be announced shortly. The other programs referred to in the honourable member’s question—namely, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund and the community grants program—do not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Regional Development.
The other programs referred to in the honourable member’s question—namely, the community facilities grants program, the regional arts fund and the community grants program—do not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Regional Development.

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