Joint media release:
- Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
31 October 2023
South Australian sporting and community organisations are waiting a hell of a long time for the Albanese Government to deliver on its community infrastructure election commitments, with 85 per cent of funding promised by Labor still uncontracted according to Department updates provided to Senate Estimates last week.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie said it’s a classic case of ‘trick and no treat’ by the Labor Government with more than $29 million in promised federal funding for South Australia at risk of being taken off the table.
“It is outrageous that after almost 18 months in office Labor has failed to contract, let alone deliver on, its community infrastructure promises,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Since being elected, Prime Minister Albanese has abolished $10 billion in regional and community programs and his government has bungled the delivery of projects Labor promised at the election.
“South Australia had one of the country’s most biased allocations of election promises, with 17 community infrastructure projects out of 26 going to a single Labor electorate, Boothby, and only one project allocated to a Coalition held electorate.
“While Labor plan to spend more than $1.3 billion nationally under their Investing in Our Communities and Priority Community Infrastructure programs, not one cent will be spent in regional South Australia.
“Recreational and community hubs are vital to the regions who do not have all the delights of their city counterparts and the Albanese Government have deserted them.
Senator for South Australia Simon Birmingham said Labor was leaving communities across South Australia in the lurch and must honour the election commitments it made before the 2022 election.
“The Albanese Labor Government is taking South Australians for granted by over-promising and after 18 months not even beginning to deliver,” Senator Birmingham said.
“South Australians are seeing what their vote is really worth under a Labor Government and it isn’t worth very much with communities right across our state who rely on these funding commitments not seeing a cent.”
Senator McKenzie said the Government has set a 30 November deadline for recipients of Labor’s election promises to provide all the necessary project information, or presumably the projects will be cancelled.
“In South Australia that is 18 projects at risk of the axe.
“Community organisations promised money at the 2022 election need to get on the phones to their local MPs office today and ask why Labor is delaying keeping its promises and commitments.
“The clock is ticking for Labor to deliver on its promises.”