PASIN URGES LABOR NOT TO CUT FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

Member for Barker Tony Pasin MP says funding for priority road and infrastructure is in doubt as Labor’s first Budget looms.

The Coalition’s 10-year $120 billion infrastructure investment pipeline included an additional $17.9 billion to priority road projects.

Mr Pasin said there are grave concerns that many vital infrastructure projects that would support jobs, increase the efficiency and capacity of our local road network will be cut in next weeks budget.

“The Coalition Government presented a Budget in March that was packed with infrastructure investment priority road projects that would not only strengthen the economy but get Australians home to their loved ones sooner and safer.”

The Coalition Government invested heavily in infrastructure since 2013 which resulted in 35,000 infrastructure projects delivered and 120,000 jobs created. Another 40,000 jobs were expected to be supported over the lives of the projects planned in the March Budget.

Mr Pasin said the Coalition Government’s Local Road and Community Infrastructure Program was one such program that had been a hugely successful and was now under threat.

“Following strong community and local government support, the Coalition Government committed to extend the $1 billion Phase 3 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program to $1.5 billion. This additional $500 million announced in the Coalition’s 2022-23 budget was intended to continue to boost Australia’s economic recovery but this funding is now under threat as the Labor Government prepare to hand down their first budget next week.”

The additional $500 million announced by the Coalition in March brought the total commitment to the LRCI Program to $3 billion to support local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure.

The Coalition Government’s LRCI program allocated a combined total of $46,212,556 to local councils in Barker but Mr Pasin said he feared that $8,886,531 ear marked under the Phase 3 extension was now in jeopardy.

“This funding has been a game changer for local councils for a range of funding activities to fix local roads, improve sporting club facilities, playgrounds, community halls, street lighting, footpaths and instal CCTV,” Mr Pasin said.

“Partnering with the District Council of Loxton Waikerie to ensure we deliver projects such as the Waikerie Pump Track for local communities will not only support jobs, construction businesses and economic growth, it will also improve community infrastructure to ensure the region’s communities remain great places to live, work and raise a family into the future”, Mr Pasin said.

“I am disappointed on the lack of clarity on regional spending programs. The Labor Government would be mad to cut the $500 million for Phase 3 extension. It would be a huge loss to our local councils. Particularly in our regions,” Mr Pasin said.