Labor is failing to deliver on $1.3 billion worth of their community infrastructure promise.
Throughout the 2022 federal election, the now Labor government made a number of funding commitments to facilitate the delivery of community infrastructure projects across the country.
In last year’s budget they allocated $1.35 billion for these projects and uncontracted grants approved by the former coalition government.
However, red tape and bureaucracy has prevented over 97 per cent of these projects from getting off the ground.
Information disclosed through senate estimates process has shown that just over 2 per cent of these projects have been contracted in the last 18 months.
The remaining uncontracted projects include those that were invited to apply in last May’s Budget – such as commitments that I secured for our community, at last year’s election.
Following numerous letters to the Prime Minister, Treasurer and the Minister for Infrastructure – calling for Labor to match the vital funding commitments made by the coalition for projects such as upgrades to Hammel Park and CCTV cameras across Logan and following up Labor’s own commitment for new facilities for the Park Ridge Pirates – I was met with no response.
Now, only through senate questioning, it has been uncovered that these projects, along with hundreds of others around Australia, are still sitting on the minister’s desk.
Even if these and other projects were to eventually progress, the economic reality has changed in the past 18 months.
The delays now add further pressures on costs, with inflation increasing material and labour prices, a further burden may be placed on communities to source any funding shortfall that may now result on vital projects.
These are not major projects that require long lead times.
These are localised projects such as sporting infrastructure, female changerooms, Aboriginal and ethnic community centres upgrades to Men’s Sheds and community halls.
They should have been, and still can be, delivered in a timely manner.
I urge the Labor government to work with these community groups to deliver, while curtailing any cost increases – not only for our community in Logan, but for communities across the nation.
