{"id":349269,"date":"2024-06-13T18:53:06","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T08:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=349269"},"modified":"2024-06-13T19:06:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T09:06:17","slug":"mp-stunned-by-state-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2024\/06\/13\/mp-stunned-by-state-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"MP Stunned By State Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Where are they? Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has searched in vain for funding for several South Burnett projects (Photo: Nanango Electorate Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 13, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington says she cannot believe how bad the State Budget is for the South Burnett.<\/p>\n

She said that after scouring through the Budget Papers there was absolutely no funding for local projects that desperately needed funding, such as roads, health services or water infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can safely say this is the worst State Budget for the Nanango Electorate I have ever seen,” Mrs Frecklington said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, all I could find was a big battery and a wind farm.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting with roads, not one project to fix the bad roads and bad bridges has been funded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe seriously dangerous Tanduringie Creek Bridge, where a school bus nearly collided with a truck a few years ago, has again not been funded for upgrade.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the funding for GS Bond Bridge on the Chinchilla-Wondai Road remains missing in action, held up in copious amounts of red tape.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also really wanted to see a commitment to opening the Kingaroy Hospital Short Stay Unit, however it has been overlooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis unit could take so much pressure off our Emergency Department and in-patient ward at the Hospital, and it needs to be opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no funding for a paediatrician to be based at the Kingaroy Hospital, or a cancer care nurse.<\/p>\n

“I will not give up on achieving these vital services for my community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to supporting our emergency services, this is another great disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlackbutt police officers will have to spend another year working out of the tiny, decrepit Blackbutt Police Station; a station which is no longer fit-for-purpose and poses a safety risk for the officers who work there.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also no funding for a new Kingaroy Fire Station.<\/p>\n

“After I visited the station recently, I promised our local firies that I will back their fight to secure a new facility to replace the outdated building that has no capacity for the 24\/7 staffing that will be implemented shortly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur community also deserves investment in long-term solutions for water security.<\/p>\n

\u201cKey projects like the Barlil Weir and Blackbutt Irrigation Scheme are being completely ignored by this government.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThese projects are my priority because they are the priorities of my local community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are less than 150 days until the next election and I will continue to advocate for the services and infrastructure the people of the Nanango Electorate deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n