December 6, 2013
The South Burnett Rail Trail project – which aimed to revitalise the former railway land linking Murgon to Kingaroy and turn it into a major tourism drawcard – received another blow this week with confirmation the funding it had been been promised before the Federal Election would not be available.
And hopes that it might be funded under the Federal Government’s new Community Development Grants Program remain uncertain as it was not included in any of the projects that local Federal MPs announced on Wednesday.
The South Burnett Rail Trail project had been promised $546,234 in the dying days of the Rudd Government under Round 5 of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF).
At the time, the South Burnett Regional Council was assured by then-Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon that funding was not reliant on the outcome of the Federal Election.
However, shortly after gaining power, the incoming Coalition Government announced there was no money available to finance many of the promised RDAF projects.
The Coalition Government suggested some projects could be eligible for funding under a new Community Development Grants Program.
Member for Wide Bay, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss announced yesterday that uncontracted projects under Rounds 2, 3 and 4 of the RDAF program would be funded under this new scheme.
Mr Truss said the Federal Government was delivering on its election commitments by providing up to $342 million towards about 300 community projects across Australia.
“These projects will be funded through the new Community Development Grants Program as part of the regional community funding package committed to by the Coalition in the 2013 election,” Mr Truss said.
“Many projects under the old RDAF (Rounds 2, 3 and 4) and the Community Infrastructure Grants Program had contracts ready to go but they were left in limbo by Labor before the election.
“Communities should not be punished for Labor’s incompetence. Through responsible management of the Budget we have found additional funds for these uncontracted projects without a mining tax.”
The Federal Government will fund RDAF Rounds 2, 3 and 4 and CIG projects on the condition that contracts are finalised within six months, Mr Truss said.
However RDAF Round 5 – and all subsequent rounds – would not be proceeding “as these were Labor election commitments and were not funded”.
“The Coalition’s Community Development Grants Program honours our election commitment to support projects that promote stable, secure and viable communities,” he said.
This morning, South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said that despite the disappointing news he was “confident that other avenues of funding can still be attained to ensure this wonderful project will go ahead”.
[UPDATED]
Community Development Grants Program
Amongst the unfunded RDAF projects which will now go ahead are improvements to the Gympie Music Muster site at Amamoor Creek State Forest (a Round 3 RDAF project).
The Gympie Music Muster is held over four days every August.
Mr Truss said yesterday the Federal Government would provide up to $450,000 to make sure the project would still go ahead.
“The Gympie Music Muster is a significant tourist drawcard, attracting people from all over Australia to Gympie. The new facilities will add to the experience that visitors and locals enjoy at the event,” Mr Truss said.
Member for Flynn Ken O’Down also announced that $1.106 million would be made available from the new grants program to construct the Gayndah Emergency Co-ordination Centre.
The construction of this centre was a Coalition promise ahead of the election and presumably would not have gone ahead had Labor been successful at the Federal poll.
References:
- August 30, ALP media release (39kb PDF)
- RDAF Round 5 projects (214kb PDF)
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