May 25, 2015
The State Government released details today of new funding programs which its says will pump $200 million over the next two years into regional projects.
State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the new Building our Regions program would fund critical infrastructure, including airports, transport and road projects, flood mitigation projects such as levees and drainage works, and community infrastructure such as water, waste water and sewerage projects.
“We want local governments to come to us with projects that will be catalysts in their communities for economic growth and local jobs, ” he said.
The Building Our Regions program consists of four funds:
- Regional Capital Fund ($70 million over two years)
- Royalties for Resource Producing Communities Fund ($55 million over two years)
- Remote Communities Infrastructure Fund ($15 million over two years)
- Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS) ($60 million over two years).
Individual councils will be able to apply for up to $5 million.
Dr Lynham said only the TIDS scheme would be available to all Queensland councils: the other three funds were quarantined to regional local governments.
However, under the criteria, the councils that cover the greater South Burnett region, ie. Cherbourg, Gympie, South Burnett and Toowoomba, are only eligible for funding under two of the programs: the Regional Capital Fund and the TIDS fund.
“I would expect to see the first projects funded and underway from July 2016 creating opportunity and jobs across regional Queensland,” Dr Lynham said.
The first round of applications will be open after August, along with more detail on the eligibility criteria and assessment process.
