JMR WITH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER McCORMACK AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER LEY
The Electorate of Corangamite will be among the areas to share in the Morrison Government’s $61.7 million budget spending on environmental restoration and recovery measures through the $1 billion COVID Relief Fund.
Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson today said that this investment will create jobs, boost local tourism and preserve our environment as part of our economic recovery plan.
Port Phillip Bay is one of at least eleven COVID- 19 and Bushfire impacted coastal areas to share in a $20 million investment in rejuvenating local fish stocks and creating spectacular tourism dive sites through the rescue of native marine ecosystems from the risk of local extinction.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the funding would create or support more than 1,000 jobs while assisting the recovery efforts of many regional communities affected by the pandemic and recent bushfires.
“These initiatives will sustain jobs and local businesses, improve facilities and encourage people to visit regional communities and world heritage sites,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“We are talking about projects that will create lasting legacies in regional centres, small towns and on the Great Barrier Reef, which will be a big boost to local communities.”
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said that the announcements showed the Morrison Government is delivering practical and lasting environmental outcomes, partnering with both State and Territory governments and local communities.
“These initiatives invest in projects that sustain jobs and local businesses, improve facilities and encourage people to visit regional communities when they are able to do so,” Minister Ley said.
“We want to bring people closer to our wonderful natural environment and we want to help them be a part of protecting and preserving our environment for generations to come.”
Senator Henderson said that the funding would play an important role in helping the local economy.
“Nationally, these projects will create more than 1000 jobs predominantly in regional Australia – including 14 jobs locally” Senator Henderson said.
“The $7.1 million project will involve building on 5.5 hectares of shellfish reefs restored by The Nature Conservancy from 2017-20, this project will extend the reef array by an additional 5 hectares across key sites in Port Phillip Bay (St Kilda, Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas).
“I look forward to continuing to work with our local community to deliver this project, creating jobs now and enhancing our fantastic local assets for the future.”
National funding under the Morrison Government’s $61.7 million investment in environmental and heritage projects includes:
• $33.5 million for heritage upgrades to fund conservation work, infrastructure upgrades across 23 national and world heritage sites, preserving and enhancing them while creating jobs and lasting benefits for our tourism industry.
• A $20 million reef builder program to be invested in at least 11 bushfire and COVID-19-affected coastal communities to rescue native marine ecosystems from the risk of local extinction, rejuvenating local fish stocks and creating spectacular tourism dive sites in the process.
• $8.2 million to support Great Barrier Reef projects including $3.2 million to engage tourism operators in reef monitoring and surveillance, along with $5 million for Townsville’s Reef HQ.
1 October 2020