Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Crocodiles and guns might get big headlines, but they do nothing for North Queensland's regions crying out for facilities and services. I rise to congratulate Better Together Community Support in Atherton in Far North Queensland on their successful application to the Building Better Regions Fund and to highlight just how important these grants are to our smaller towns. Building Together is a vital service in Atherton, providing domestic violence support, counselling and online psychology sessions, family mediation, youth programs, suicide prevention, and drug and alcohol awareness, just to name some. CEO John Russell and board members such as former regional Mayor Joe Paronella, David Duncan and Graham Wardle have been tireless in their desire to expand and improve our new community centre, which the town sorely needs.

I'm delighted to say that, thanks to the Building Better Regions Fund, a $2.2 million contribution will be made to a $4.4 million dollar project to build a fit-for-purpose community centre in the Atherton Tableland. Criticism has been made of these grants, describing them as purely political. Well, try telling that to the grateful recipients. I will never stop fighting for local councils, especially when their local member doesn't.

These councils don't have the rates base to afford all the facilities that make their areas more liveable for residents and attractive to tourists. They need representatives in Canberra to constantly push their case for town improvements so they can concentrate on budgeting for other core responsibilities. Effective representation isn't about self-promotion or blaming others for your failures; it's about delivering for people who need it most.

This BBRF funding, plus the billion set aside for regional roads, upgrades and town improvements, is crucial for our regions and they deserve every cent. These regional councils are achieving extraordinary outcomes.