Hinchinbrook MP, Andrew Cripps, has taken a philosophical approach to the less than impressive budget from the Palaszczuk Government, suggesting communities in the Hinchinbrook electorate may have to be grateful for small mercies.

Mr Cripps said while Labor was making big claims the budget was all about jobs and infrastructure, the reality for the Hinchinbrook electorate was there appeared to be relatively small allocations for communities between Townsville and Innisfail.

“Given the serious financial mismanagement, increased public sector debt and increased taxes delivered by the Palaszczuk Government’s budget, I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies and realise it could be worse” said Mr Cripps.

The minor allocations for the Hinchinbrook electorate in the state budget include:

• $150,000 for the upgrade of the access road to Murray Falls within the Girringun National Park at Murray Upper;
• $2.9 million for annual refurbishment works and minor upgrades at the Kareeya Power Station by Stanwell Corporation, north-west of Tully;
• $430,000 to build a new Queensland Police Service residence at Halifax, replacing the original residence built in the 1880s;
• A share of $980,000 in funding for the continued delivery of the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program at Cardwell.

Mr Cripps said he was particularly pleased to see the funding for the new Queensland Police Service residence at Halifax and the continuation of the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program in Cardwell – both issues he had been closely involved in.

“I pursued the issue of securing a new Queensland Police Service residence at Halifax given the existing home was built in the 1880’s and had serious maintenance issues that would have been far too expensive to address – a new residence was a better option”.

“I also campaigned alongside the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation to secure the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger program for Cardwell, after the former Bligh Labor Government had resisted the obvious need to deliver the initiative in the Hinchinbrook region”.