❓ The Minister outlines budget support for regional WA, highlighting investments in infrastructure, job creation, and cost-of-living relief, while criticising the opposition's policies.
AnsweredQoN 350Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE BUDGET 2024–25 — REGIONS
350. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record investment to deliver long-term prosperity across regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this year's state budget is
supporting communities across regional Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this support builds on existing initiatives that
are creating local jobs and diversifying regional economies?
350. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record investment to deliver long-term prosperity across regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this year's state budget is
supporting communities across regional Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this support builds on existing initiatives that
are creating local jobs and diversifying regional economies?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
am delighted to answer the question, and I thank the member for her tireless
advocacy for the community in her electorate. Of course, I was sitting
listening to the member for Vasse this morning on the monitor, and I distinctly
heard her say that we had missed out on a game changer pre-election budget. I am
not sorry about that, because this is a budget
that does the right thing by Western Australians and does the right thing by regional Western Australians. That is what we put first, not the
cynical, vote-grabbing things that the member for Vasse might look at.
We have a fabulous budget for Western
Australia. We are looking particularly across regional Western Australia at enhanced tourism infrastructure, community safety
measures and diversifying regional economies, and the budget delivers
what matters to regional Western Australians. In fact, our responsible financial management over seven years has seen a record
$12.8 billion being made available for investment in regional
infrastructure now and billions more to fund regional service delivery, with
more than $4 billion for royalties for
regions. Royalties for regions is there. We are committed to things like $1.1 billion in training programs across regional WA to prepare Western Australians for the
jobs of the future.
What did I see on the Leader of the
Opposition's Facebook page today? You would not believe it! She said that free TAFE courses will not magically fix
WA's skill shortage. They will be going back to charging for
TAFE courses. Is that their policy—charging for TAFE courses? I think
TAFE has been a fantastic opportunity for regional students right across Western
Australia.
The
budget has $500 million for the new strategic industries fund to transform WA's
industrial areas into major job-creating hubs. Members, where are those
hubs? They are in regional Western Australia, diversifying
our economy. We expect to spend $32.5 million on regional telecommunications
infrastructure to provide reliable and cost-effective high-speed
broadband in the state's regions, and that fund leverages the commonwealth government's
telecommunication providers investment. We know what the opposition's policy is in this space. If it ever possibly got elected, it would wait around
for 200 days and think about what it might do, whereas we are getting on with
the job. In fact, in the attachments to budget paper No 3, I have five pages of
projects purely from royalties for regions, let alone the rest of the budget.
We are getting on with the job.
We
know that residents and small businesses in regional WA will also benefit from
the Cook government's massive $762 million cost-of-living relief
package. Households and small businesses are big winners from both our state budget and the federal budget.
We have a good relationship with the federal government . We stand up for
Western Australia, and we get good outcomes, whether it is in funding our
infrastructure projects or supporting our cost-of-living measures. We expect
over 1.1 million WA households will receive
at least $700 worth of electricity credits over the next 12 months. I do not
know what other members have found, but when I have been doorknocking or
phoning, I have found that people are welcoming these cost-of-living measures
right around my regional electorate.
The Cook government is committed
to encouraging Western Australians to explore the state's great outdoors while supporting regional local businesses.
That initiative is in the state government's $ 165 million outdoor and adventure tourism package, a first of
its kind. It will fix up issues right around Western Australia and put
new infrastructure in place, building opportunities for trails, and improving
and building on the Wadandi Track. I am sure that the Minister for Environment
will be pleased with that one. We have $16.2 million for tourism upgrades at
Kalbarri and the Abrolhos Islands, member for Geraldton, and $14.9 million to
deliver a range of new and upgraded campgrounds. We are, of course, encouraging
people to get out and explore, and that helps to build local jobs, boost local
tourism, support local businesses and diversify our economy. We are about
diversifying regional Western Australia, building a broader economic base,
improving the quality of life and making sure that we absolutely do the right
thing by Western Australia.
am delighted to answer the question, and I thank the member for her tireless
advocacy for the community in her electorate. Of course, I was sitting
listening to the member for Vasse this morning on the monitor, and I distinctly
heard her say that we had missed out on a game changer pre-election budget. I am
not sorry about that, because this is a budget
that does the right thing by Western Australians and does the right thing by regional Western Australians. That is what we put first, not the
cynical, vote-grabbing things that the member for Vasse might look at.
We have a fabulous budget for Western
Australia. We are looking particularly across regional Western Australia at enhanced tourism infrastructure, community safety
measures and diversifying regional economies, and the budget delivers
what matters to regional Western Australians. In fact, our responsible financial management over seven years has seen a record
$12.8 billion being made available for investment in regional
infrastructure now and billions more to fund regional service delivery, with
more than $4 billion for royalties for
regions. Royalties for regions is there. We are committed to things like $1.1 billion in training programs across regional WA to prepare Western Australians for the
jobs of the future.
What did I see on the Leader of the
Opposition's Facebook page today? You would not believe it! She said that free TAFE courses will not magically fix
WA's skill shortage. They will be going back to charging for
TAFE courses. Is that their policy—charging for TAFE courses? I think
TAFE has been a fantastic opportunity for regional students right across Western
Australia.
The
budget has $500 million for the new strategic industries fund to transform WA's
industrial areas into major job-creating hubs. Members, where are those
hubs? They are in regional Western Australia, diversifying
our economy. We expect to spend $32.5 million on regional telecommunications
infrastructure to provide reliable and cost-effective high-speed
broadband in the state's regions, and that fund leverages the commonwealth government's
telecommunication providers investment. We know what the opposition's policy is in this space. If it ever possibly got elected, it would wait around
for 200 days and think about what it might do, whereas we are getting on with
the job. In fact, in the attachments to budget paper No 3, I have five pages of
projects purely from royalties for regions, let alone the rest of the budget.
We are getting on with the job.
We
know that residents and small businesses in regional WA will also benefit from
the Cook government's massive $762 million cost-of-living relief
package. Households and small businesses are big winners from both our state budget and the federal budget.
We have a good relationship with the federal government . We stand up for
Western Australia, and we get good outcomes, whether it is in funding our
infrastructure projects or supporting our cost-of-living measures. We expect
over 1.1 million WA households will receive
at least $700 worth of electricity credits over the next 12 months. I do not
know what other members have found, but when I have been doorknocking or
phoning, I have found that people are welcoming these cost-of-living measures
right around my regional electorate.
The Cook government is committed
to encouraging Western Australians to explore the state's great outdoors while supporting regional local businesses.
That initiative is in the state government's $ 165 million outdoor and adventure tourism package, a first of
its kind. It will fix up issues right around Western Australia and put
new infrastructure in place, building opportunities for trails, and improving
and building on the Wadandi Track. I am sure that the Minister for Environment
will be pleased with that one. We have $16.2 million for tourism upgrades at
Kalbarri and the Abrolhos Islands, member for Geraldton, and $14.9 million to
deliver a range of new and upgraded campgrounds. We are, of course, encouraging
people to get out and explore, and that helps to build local jobs, boost local
tourism, support local businesses and diversify our economy. We are about
diversifying regional Western Australia, building a broader economic base,
improving the quality of life and making sure that we absolutely do the right
thing by Western Australia.
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