REGIONAL FUNDING MISSING IN ACTION

12 February 2018

270 days on from announcing the $272 million Regional Growth Fund and, still, the Coalition has not released guidelines for the program.

In May 2017, the then Minister, Senator Fiona Nash, told Senate Estimates that guidelines would be finalised as soon as possible.

Five months later - in October 2017 - the Minister described the guidelines as imminent.

Well, how long do regional communities have to wait? How many times will Coalition Ministers promise action and fail to deliver?

The reality is that the Coalition has left regional communities out in the cold.

It has cut investment on rail, roads and other infrastructure and is delivering an inferior NBN, despite the fact that a 21st century, fibre-based NBN would turbo charge economic growth in regional Australia.

Its time the Coalition get their act together and make good on their commitment to regional Australia without further delay.

The Coalition talks a big talk on regional development but fails to walk the walk.