Joint media release
Shadow Minister for Education, Senator for Victoria, Senator the Hon Sarah Henderson
Liberal for Indi, James Trenery
The Albanese Government continues to play funding games with communities in desperate need to kickstart projects successfully approved months ago.
Senator for Victoria, Sarah Henderson and Liberal candidate for Indi, James Trenery, said Indi was missing out as a result of Labor’s continued failures to deliver grants for important community projects.
It includes the promise of $2.9 million for the Benalla Rural City Council to redevelop the Benalla Art Gallery and $1.4 million for Mansfield Shire Council to upgrade the historic Lords Oval Reserve.
The projects were successfully funded under the Growing Regions Program but, bizarrely, were not announced until after organisations were required to have started work, according to application guidelines.
“This is just another example of the Albanese Government starving the regions of much-needed funding,” Senator Henderson said
“The Albanese Government promised programs to support the regions, but after more than two years there is nothing to show for it.
“Labor ministers are sitting on grants programs, refusing to part with money promised for the regions, choosing instead to hoard the cash to prop up the budget surplus in Canberra.”
In Labor’s first two years in office, it has stripped more than $20 billion in infrastructure and programs from regional communities.
Mr Trenery said it was now three months since Labor committed funding to redevelop the Benalla Art Gallery and upgrade Lords Oval Reserve in Mansfield.
“Labor has refused to provide a funding agreement which would ensure these projects can get started,” Mr Trenery said.
Under rules set down by the Albanese government, organisations are not permitted to start local projects until contracts have been signed with the Commonwealth.
“After an application process that took more than 40 weeks, the Albanese government has failed to deliver a funding agreement to sign further delaying these projects,” Mr Trenery said.
“It is also adding extra red tape to projects by requiring state governments to become parties to the agreements.”
“There is no excuse for these ongoing delays – the people of Indi deserve better,” Mr Trenery said.