We don’t always whinge about it, we do worry about it, and when others from out of the blue point to it, we can be justified to some extent about the legitimacy of it.
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It’s about identifying just how little the regional areas get in the great scheme of things of state.
There’s a huge divide between metro and inland regions when it comes to budgets, projects and infrastructure – the building blocks for regional economies.
It’s not like the Minerals Council to be standing up for the less powerful – but in the wake of the state budget yesterday the mining industry giant’s promotional arm came out swinging.
It identified that when it came to major transport-related state infrastructure projects listed in the budget papers as either under way or due to commence over the next five years, $36 billion was listed for urban projects, including trains, buses, ferries, light rail and roads, with just $900 million listed for transport for projects in regional areas.
The council said, while it was great the people of Sydney will benefit from the billions being spent on motorways, tunnels, sports stadiums, convention centres and light rail networks in the coming years, regional communities are missing out on their fair share.
The council’s CEO pointed out that, while mining communities across regional NSW delivered royalties totalling $1.16 billion to NSW Treasury in the last financial year, just a fraction is being returned to mining regions in infrastructure funding.
Infrastructure is critical to regional areas. Just heed the promises and the campaign commitments from politicians.
Pork barrelling is a name tied up in the big box items our elected representatives like to trot out as ways of winning votes and influencing our loyalties.
So, when it comes to state budgets and regional areas, it is nearly always that infrastructure spending in annual financial statements and, critically, operational plans, that are the salient, and the single most crucial items we look for.
Yesterday, again, like so often in the past, might have been a let down for so many more.
Certainly Tamworth Regional Council will be concerned there’s no money for the Northern Inland Centre of Sporting Excellence. It’s critical to the future planning for a regional council that looks to sport as a driving economic tool.
There have been high hopes for well over two budgets for decent money towards the complex. And there was $2.5 million for the first part of the upgrade of the Manilla Rd between Tribe and Jewry streets. It was the first actual financial, solid-gold budgetary allowance for a start on a project the council has been hoping to get under way for nearly three years.
That’s something.