Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I outlined for the people of the Somerset regional area the BER funding of $20.8 million. The Somerset Regional Council area has been added to the federal seat of Blair in the recent redistribution in Queensland. Tonight I am going to talk very briefly about the partnership that the Rudd Labor government is having with the Somerset Regional Council, delivering nearly $2.47 million to the Somerset Regional Council for the fundamental needs of local communities, building local amenities, creating local jobs and improving local lifestyles. Mayor Graeme Lehmann has described the funding in the partnership as absolutely fantastic, and this includes the Esk fitness trail construction, the Esk skate park construction, the Fernvale Campdraft Park amenities block—all of which have been opened. I was pleased to see on Australia Day the skate competition at the skate park. Also, $2.1 million is being put in by the Rudd Labor government for the Fernvale Indoor Sports Centre. Construction will start this year and I am looking forward to working with the people at Somerset to deliver vital community infrastructure under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program.