2009-2010 Budget Secures Great Southern

Families and communities in Great Southern are major beneficiaries of the Liberal-National Government’s first Budget, with funding for a new Albany Hospital, a $155million Jobs Protection Package and record spending on health, education and law and order.“We are determined to make every dollar the State spends a dollar that supports jobs,” Treasurer Troy Buswell said. 

“This State Budget has been framed in very challenging circumstances characterised by the impact of the global economic downturn on the major sources of revenue for Western Australia.

“We are assisting areas such as the Great Southern region deal with this challenging economic time and helping to prepare them to capture the benefits of the next upswing.”

Mr Buswell said the Budget delivered on the Government’s commitment to the people of the Great Southern region, in four key ways: 

• The Budget protects jobs and supports the State’s regional economies during the current downturn
• It delivers the investment in the regions required to secure the State’s economic future
• It provides better services for regional families and communities
• And it protects the State’s finances. 

“Despite the current global economic downturn, this Budget delivers targeted spending to improve key regional services in the Great Southern region, particularly in health, education and law and order, while delivering record investment in public infrastructure,” the Treasurer said. 

“The Royalties for Regions program is an essential part of the Liberal-National Government’s long-term focus on sustained regional development across WA.  This policy will see 25 per cent of forecast royalty revenue per annum being reinvested in regional WA. 

“The previous Labor government ignored regional WA for eight years.  This Budget demonstrates the Liberal-National Government’s commitment to regional WA through real investments in better services and infrastructure.” 

WA Budget statements are available at http://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au/

 Treasurer’s office: 9222 9111

Projects and programs, listed under their portfolios, include:

  SPORT AND RECREATION

• 58 per cent of the CSRFF grants will be allocated to regional Western Australia
• 50 per cent of the club development officers will be stationed in regional Western Australia
• $225,000 is allocated to the Country Sport Enrichment Scheme. A program which helps fund elite sport events in the country
• $108,000 to support regional sport houses. These sport houses are technology hubs that community sport clubs can access to communicate with their members. These sport houses are housed at DSR regional offices
• $50,000 for the Champions to the Regions. Under this scheme elite sports associations are funded to bring elite sportspeople to the regions to help with their sports development.

 CHILD PROTECTION

Case workers – This funding will boost the number of front-line workers across Western Australia by 33 to support children in care and protect children from abuse.  At least one additional caseworker will be located in the Great Southern. 

Domestic Violence Intake Teams – Nine new child protection workers will be allocated across country areas to be co-located with WA Police to boost the front-line response to domestic violence and child abuse.  Additional child protection staff will be located in the Great Southern. 

TRAINING

The Government will commit almost $47.4million over the next three years as part of the economic stimulus package for training. Initiatives include:

• $10.6million over two years for workers’ compensation premium rebates to employers of first year apprentices and trainees, helping to increase and retain the number of these new employees
• Expanded services for Career Development Centres – more than $3million will be provided over the next two years to ensure Western Australians have greater access to professional careers advice and training information which will assist them in making informed choices about further education and employment options, including apprenticeships and traineeships
• Expanded Employment Directions Network (EDN) – an additional $1.015million will be provided over two years to strengthen the existing funding base ($7.7million) of the EDN, a State-wide network of 23 not-for-profit community-based organisations that deliver career advice, information and assistance service to more than 50,000 clients each year
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – $755,000 will be provided over the next two years for RPL leaders to co-ordinate, broker and facilitate the VET sector’s ability to provide a better RPL skills assessment service to applicants
• Recognition of Prior Learning (fee exemptions) – more than $1.5million will be provided over two years, offering applicants in publicly-funded courses a 50 per cent fee concession, with the unemployed being offered a fee-free RPL assessment
• Rapid Response Team for Employers – about $630,000 will be provided over two years for additional support for employers and where possible mediate alternatives to suspension of apprenticeships and provide support services to affected apprentices. 

ENVIRONMENT

• Parks and Visitor Services capital works program – $535,000. 

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• An allocation of $60.896million has been provided for 2010-11 to 2012-13 to enable the Albany Hospital development to progress. This would ensure residents in Albany and the wider Great Southern region to have access to quality health services through a contemporary medical facility
• Housing for Workers – $609.713million is allocated for expenditure out to 2012-13 with $180million approved in 2009-10 to support the construction of 400 Government Regional Officer Homes (GROH) in regional areas of the State 
• A total amount of $500million is being distributed to Country Local Governments and Regional Groupings of Councils out to 2012-13, broken into an allocation of $100million each year. Funds are directed toward improving the financial sustainability of regional local governments through providing funds to address infrastructure requirements, improve asset management and support capacity building 
• An amount of $63million is allocated in 2009-10 to the Regional Grants Scheme which will be administered by the nine Regional Development Commissions (RDCs).  Assistance will be targeted toward supporting regional infrastructure and service delivery projects through publicly advertised rounds of contestable funding. This will assist in attracting investment, increasing jobs and helping to improve the quality of life for people living in the regions
• An amount of $12.5million in 2009-10 has been allocated as part of an $80million commitment to the Country Age Pension Fuel Card to provide age pensioners in country WA with $500 worth of fuel and taxi travel a year to help cover the cost of their travel.  Up to 35,000 aged pensioners will benefit from the Fuel Card
• An amount of $16.08million has been allocated to the Exploration Incentive Scheme in 2009-10 as part of an $80million commitment which encourages exploration in WA, particularly in minerals greenfields areas and frontier petroleum basins, to assist in maintaining the long-term sustainability of the State’s resources sector
• An amount of $11million has been allocated in 2009-10 to supporting the development of a Community Resource Centre Network which will provide residents in more than 100 small rural communities with access to a wide range of information, services, training and development opportunities.

HEALTH

• $8million to finalise planning and commence development of Stage One of the Albany Regional Resource Centre (total project cost $135million).

State-wide

• $37.7million investment in staff accommodation in rural WA
• Ongoing program to upgrade and replace hospital equipment to provide better services for patients and a better work environment for staff; $13million allocated in 2009-10
• Another ongoing program to maintain the existing capital infrastructure of health facilities including the replacement of building services components, hospital plant and equipment and the undertaking of other minor building works ($9.8million)
• Finalise the development of the framework for the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Strategy that outlines the key investments and operational budgets required to deliver effective and efficient information management support for WA Health’s clinical and administrative business
• Implementation of the initial components approved under the ICT Strategy, which include the Pharmacy Management System and Patient Administration Systems. $15million in 2009-10 of the $326.2million total.

POLICE

• Government will meet commitment to provide 500 extra officers (mix to be 350 police and 150 auxiliary officers) plus 200 support staff.  Recurrent funding of $208.5million over forward estimates plus $6million capital in 2009-10
• Re-opening of regional police stations (already announced) $8million over forward estimates
• Construction of new police facilities and upgrades (Capital $34million over forward estimates). 

FESA

• Additional funding of $1.88million in 2009-10 ($6.48million over the next four years) for the 33 Regional Volunteer Marine Rescue Service groups located throughout the State
• $2.5million in 2009-10 ($6.72million over the period 2009-10 to 2012-13 to continue with the upgrade of fire-fighters’ personal protective clothing for fire-fighters. 

ROAD SAFETY

• $755,000 for Main Roads WA to run trials on new engineering solutions to make roads and roadsides safer
• $880,000 for safer vehicles program which will promote use of safety-rated cars in WA
• $500,000 for a new road safety research centre project between Curtin and Monash Universities. 

TRANSPORT

• $10million for the upgrading of roads between Bremer Bay and Hopetoun
• $5million for the reconstruction of Muirs Highway between the Denmark-Mt Barker Road and the Hay River Bridge
• $500,000 to widen the seal on the Northam-Cranbrook Road between Katanning and Tambellup.

PORTS

The authority’s 2009-10 asset investment program of $4.8million includes $750,000 for ongoing minor works and $250,000 for motor vehicle replacement. In addition, $3.8million will be spent on the realignment of Princess Royal Drive, which will improve the efficiency of rail access to the port. In 2010-11, $1million is required to provide a rail dump hopper for the biomass fuel pellet industry, thus increasing the use of rail. In 2011-12, it is anticipated that the pilot boat will need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $1.8million.

A further $600,000 will be allocated for the maintenance and installation of navigational aids around WA’s waterways to continuously improve marine safety, reduce the occurrences of costly maritime incidents and potential oil spills.

There will be $7.5million available during 2009-10 for Regional Airports Development Scheme projects, which contributes toward the cost of regional airports’ upgrade projects.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT/HERITAGE/MULTICULTURAL

• The $400million Country Local Government Fund ($100million per year for four years) will be available to assist regional local governments to renew their asset base, invest in new infrastructure and enhance sustainability
• $10million over four years set aside from the Country Local Government Fund to assist regional local governments with governance, structural reform planning, ongoing capacity building, and additional Department of Local Government support
• $848,000 in 2009-10 and $3.4million across the forward years in funding to assist the State’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities and to provide for citizenship initiatives
• $700,000 in grants to private owners of places on the State Heritage Register to help them conserve their heritage listed properties
• $100,000 in grants to assist private owners, lessees, local government and community groups for special assistance or urgent conservation works to heritage places
• $200,000 package to assist local governments in their heritage listing and protection work.

WATER

• Construction of new water tank and pipeline at Denmark – $9.8million

EDUCATION

• Construction to begin on a new Yakamia Primary School ($16million, 2011)
• Construction to continue on the second stage of Mount Barker Community College ($12.2million, 2010)
• Upgrades to Albany Senior High School ($2million, 2010)
• Upgrades to Flinders Park Primary School ($100,000, 2010). 

PLANNING

• Acquire land for regional open space and future infrastructure corridors with capital expenditure of $73.6million
• $1.4million to continue the State Government’s commitment to regional arts projects and partners.

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

• $3.8million for projects to support the ongoing sustainable development of agricultural industries operating in the Great Southern region, including the meat and livestock, cropping and agro-forestry industries
• $300,000 State-wide to improve production and managerial capacity of indigenous landholders. 

CORRECTIVE SERVICES

An additional 600 beds will be provided across the existing WA prison system by double bunking cells. The expansion is part of an overall strategy to increase the number of prison beds available. Beds will consist of a mixture of double bunking, new demountable accommodation and refurbishment of previously decommissioned cells. 

The initial phase will consist of 493 beds constructed between July and December 2009 at the following facilities: Acacia, Albany, Bunbury, Greenough, Wooroloo and Pardelup