The new Labor Government is continuing their vendetta against rural and regional Australia with the confirmation it will abolish the Coalition Government’s Building Better Building Regions Fund (BBRF).
The BBRF is a highly popular program which supports projects in rural and regional communities to create jobs, drive economic growth, and build stronger regional and remote communities into the future.
Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, said projects such as the redevelopment of the Hamilton Livestock Exchange, Camperdown Theatre redevelopment, Lexton Community Hub, the redevelopment of Lake Pertobe, Colac Memorial playscape, Winchelsea netball pavilion upgrade and Lorne Sculpture Exhibition are all projects that have been funded under the BBRF.
These projects and many more in Wannon have delivered not only important capital infrastructure but projects that have provided jobs and social benefits, said Mr Tehan.
Important projects such as the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club redevelopment, the upgrade of Colas South Sports Club and many other critical local projects are now at risk. This is incredibly disappointing for the community, and the groups that have worked incredibly hard to put together proposals for Round 6 of the BBRF, said Mr Tehan.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie, has said the Labor Party has confirmed rural and regional communities' concerns in the lead-up to the budget by completely scrapping the BBRF.
“The Labor Government continues to prosecute the mistruth that regional funding projects are a waste when these projects actually deliver social and economic benefits to local communities and our nation as a whole.” Senator McKenzie said.
Hundreds of regional communities across Australia have benefited from important facilities taken for granted in the cities, such as art galleries, museums, sporting precincts, aquatic centres, health facilities, community halls and upgrades to regional water infrastructure.
“It becomes clearer every day to us that creating jobs, driving economic growth and building stronger regional and rural communities into the future is not a priority for the Labor Government,” Senator McKenzie said.
