John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

The 2018-19 budget promotes new jobs, a stronger economy and stronger regional communities across all local government areas and, of course, Australia's territories. Some of the key regional development announcements in the 2018-19 budget, of course, were the next important steps in the coalition government's decentralisation agenda. Regional Australians deserve the benefits that flow from Public Service jobs just as much as those who live in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. We are following a measured and methodical process to investigate and deliver on this agenda. This measured and methodical process, this important step, is another example of the coalition delivering more and better paying jobs across Australia's regions, be it in Darwin, Shepparton, Wodonga, Toowoomba or Dubbo, for example. With this step, nearly 100 jobs will be moving from the Public Service strongholds of inner-city Sydney, inner-city Melbourne and Canberra, which will make a marked difference in the communities in which they will transition. This means new families moving into towns, investing and spending more, bringing more children to local schools or the local football club, in turn requiring more expertise and skill in regional communities. This is a positive decentralisation plan in action and I can confirm, as minister, that there is plenty more to come.

This budget includes an exciting commitment of $200 million to deliver a third round of the Building Better Regions Fund, bringing our total commitment in this program to $641.6 million from 2017-18 to 2021-22. The program is about supporting rural, regional and remote communities to partner with governments and other stakeholders and to take advantage of the immense opportunities available in regional Australia. A key priority for the third round will be to help stimulate local economies, particularly by investing in the tourism sector. Forty-three cents of every tourism dollar is spent in regional Australia, and the number of domestic international tourists visiting our regions grows every year. The government wants to help regions unlock their tourism potential and has therefore earmarked $45 million from the third round of the BBRF for tourism related infrastructure projects that will help grow that regional tourism. Round 1 of the fund resulted in 257 projects delivering over 20,000 jobs. Round 2 is close to completion, and successful applications will be announced mid this year.

This builds on the announcement of over $272 million in the last budget for major transformational projects for the Regional Growth Fund. The response from regional Australia was enormous, and initial applications are currently under assessment. The Building Better Regions Fund and the Regional Growth Fund are clear examples of our government's commitment to regional development.

So too is the Stronger Communities Program, which all members of this House would be familiar with. There is an extra $22.5 million for 2018-19 for round 4 of this highly successful program that means so much to all of our local communities right across the country. Earlier this month, I visited the Mount Major walking track with the member for Murray, for example, through this program. There is great news for Dookie and the broader Goulburn Valley in that particular example. It was even great news for the member for Whitlam, who is here in the chamber, in his electorate—12 projects, including $10,000 for upgrades and new equipment for Albion Park Little Athletics, which I'm sure celebrates alongside his community.

Whether it's our regional funding programs, whether it's our decentralisation program—

Mr Stephen Jones interjecting—

I acknowledge those opposite don't want decentralisation, they're not interested, they want to just focus on inner city public-servant jobs. Companies such as Adaptapack and the Cottee family—that we've assisted through programs to relocate out of Sydney into Nowra and Lismore, for example—are all about our government delivering in spades for regional Australia. We have a plan, we're delivering on that plan, and it's a pity those opposite are not interested in regional development whatsoever.

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