Mark McGowan says the government has not spent the promised 25 percent of mining royalties on regional WA.
Mark McGowan
The opposition leader says only about three quarters the promised Royalties for Regions money has in fact been spent on the regions.
“Over the next four years, the percentage of mining royalties being spent in regional WA will drop further to only 12.5 per cent,” Mr McGowan said.
You can read his statement here:
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Redman admits government has misled regional Western Australians
Fast Facts:
• Regional Development Minister Terry Redman admits government publications have been misleading
• Mr Redman also admitted that over the past six years Liberal-National Government has spent an average of only 18 per cent of mining royalties on regional WA
• The Royalties For Regions program was supposed to spend 25 per cent of mining royalties on regional WA
• The Liberal-National Government will not remove the Country Local Government Fund from the Royalties for Regions Act, even though it has been abolished
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman has admitted the Liberal-National Government’s publications have contained misleading information about the Royalties for Regions program.
The admission came during Budget Estimates this week when Mr Redman was questioned over misleading government publications that claimed 25 per cent of mining royalties were being spent on projects and services in regional WA.
For example, last year’s Royalties for Regions Progress Report 2012-13, said that ‘Through Royalties for Regions, 25 per cent of the State’s mining and onshore petroleum royalties are being returned to regional areas’.
Mr Redman admitted that the Liberal-National Government has never spent 25 per cent of mining royalties on regional WA, it had only spent an average of 18 per cent over the past six years.
Over the next four years, the percentage of mining royalties being spent in regional WA will drop further to only 12.5 per cent.
Mr Redman also admitted that his government’s publications had been misleading but did not say if they would be changed to accurately report the percentage of mining royalties being spent in regional WA.
It was also revealed that the Liberal-National Government would not remove the Country Local Government Fund from the Royalties for Regions Act even though the fund would no longer function after 2016-17.
Comments from WA Labor Leader Mark McGowan:
“The Liberal-National Government should stop misleading regional Western Australians and be honest about the percentage of royalties actually being spent under Royalties for Regions.
“The National Party leader has confirmed the program has never delivered what it promised and government publications should reflect this.
“The Country Local Government Fund is now a ghost fund – it exists by name but does not contain any funding for regional WA.
“The Liberal-National Government is ripping $3 billion from Royalties for Regions over the next four years. No amount of spin or misleading information will make up for this massive broken promise to regional WA.”