WA misses out on Federal transport funding, again

9/6/04
Western Australia has again missed out on its fair share of the Federal Government's AusLink funding.
Of the $6.2billion allocated for transport infrastructure upgrades across the nation, WA will receive just $432million under the Howard Government's five-year AusLink funding package.
To compound the inequity, almost $190million of the $432million is previously announced money - some of it as much as five years old.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said WA would receive just 6.9 per cent of AusLink's allocation to State and Territory Governments.
"On any analysis, this is grossly unfair to WA," Ms MacTiernan said.
Western Australia -

• produces 30 per cent of the nation's exports by value;
• generates $23billion in revenue each year for the Commonwealth;
• contains 25 per cent of the National Highway;
• is a third of the nation's land mass; and
• contains 10 per cent of the nation's population.

"When it comes to transport funding, Western Australia continues to be short-changed by the Federal Government," Ms MacTiernan said.
The Minister said the Eastern States had enjoyed massive funding injections for projects such as the $765million Pacific Highway and $714million Hume Highway upgrades at the expense of regional WA.
But the AusLink package did not contain a single dollar for the vital North West Coastal Highway, or other transport infrastructure supporting the Burrup Peninsula.
"Despite being one of the biggest earners for the Federal Government, the Burrup has not even been included in the National Transport Network," Ms MacTiernan said.
"At the same time economic minnows like Mildura and Shepparton in Victoria have been given a Guernsey: while we have nothing against canned fruits or raisins, the contribution of natural gas and iron ore to the national wealth is far more significant.
"The North West Coastal Highway is critical in servicing the growing industrial areas and coastal communities between Perth and Port Hedland.
"AusLink was the perfect opportunity for the Howard Government to show real support for WA's wealth-generating areas.
"Instead, our mining sector has been completely ignored."
The Minister said about $189million of WA's AusLink allocation had been previously announced.
The only bright light for WA had been a $14million commitment for the Fremantle Port Rail Loop Project and a dollar-for-dollar commitment for the Mandurah Bypass.
"While many of the projects are simply re-announcements, we welcome the money for projects such as the Fremantle rail loop project," Ms MacTiernan said.
"We have lobbied the Federal Government long and hard on the need for an improved rail loop to Fremantle Port."
Minister's office: 9213 6400