Media Release
Many mining communities in regional Queensland are likely to miss out yet again in the latest round of the Newman Government’s misnamed and inadequate Royalties for the Regions program says Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mulherin.
“For councils such as Mt Isa in a mining region like North West Queensland, and towns like Moranbah, the LNP’s program must be a great disappointment because it isn’t what they were promised.,” Mr Mulherin said.
“There is justifiable anger in mining communities that this Newman Government initiative has been a huge let-down and it is likely that when Round Three of the program is announced in coming weeks there will once again be more losers than winners."
“While the LNP is short-changing regional communities, Treasurer Tim Nicholls is wasting $6 million on a misleading advertising campaign to justify his plans for asset sales, and the Auditor-General has pointed out that the LNP’s new Executive Building project in the heart of Brisbane will end up costing taxpayers $2.6 billion in dead money over the next decade or so."
“It is truly baffling that Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney has so far delivered nothing to Mount Isa through the scheme and directed only $750,000 to Isaac Regional Council when these two regions alone generate the lion’s share of Queensland’s mining royalties."
“Mr Seeney is betraying the Bowen Basin over 100% FIFO workforces – another Newman Government broken promise – and he is betraying mining regions over Royalties for the Regions."
“Of the $153 million allocated in the first two rounds of Royalties for the Regions, 83% has gone to projects in Toowoomba and the Western Downs, South West Queensland and the Wide Bay Burnett regions."
“In fact, $82 million, more than half the total spend so far, has been directed to Toowoomba and the Downs."
“It is little wonder that there is so much consternation in those parts of Queensland where mining is the main economic activity but which have been treated with contempt by the Newman Government which appears to be a government not for the entire state but for favoured regions in the south west and Wide Bay/Burnett."
“Mr Seeney must explain why he has shown such clear bias and ignored the genuine and justified appeals for assistance from elsewhere.”
Mr Mulherin says if the LNP was serious about infrastructure spending in regional communities impacted by mining activity it would allocate a much bigger share of the estimated $2.69 billion the State will receive in royalties this financial year.
“So far more than two thirds of the applications to the program have been rejected. In the last round there were 113 applications for projects but only 32 were approved and it seems inevitable, given the Newman Government’s shocking record on regional spending, that councils in mining regions will miss out again in Round Three."
“For many councils the program is proving to be an elaborate exercise in futility. They have staff working to identify projects and fill out applications that prove to be an expensive waste of time and effort."
“Isaac Regional Council, for example, has 29 coal mines within its boundaries which together contribute more than half of Queensland’s coal royalties. Yet the total amount allocated by Mr Seeney to that council under Royalties for the Regions is a paltry $750,000."
“This is a program that is supposed to return wealth to the regions where it is generated to help councils cope with the toll mining activities take on critical infrastructure."
“When Round Three’s successful projects are announced later this month, no doubt there will be the usual bunkum from Mr Seeney about Royalties for the Regions. But he knows that the program is selling mining regions short."
“It is no more than a local government grants scheme, and a wholly inadequate one at that.”
No comments:
Post a Comment