The Palaszczuk Government is pretending to bring forward funding through a program that stalled in its first year, leaving a huge gap in the pipeline of infrastructure projects delivered in regional and rural communities across Far North Queensland.

LNP Shadow Northern Development Minister Andrew Cripps said today’s announcement that $70 million would be made available for Round 3 of Labor’s disastrous Building our Regions program would be met with scepticism by local councils.

“Despite claiming they ‘topped up’ the Building our Regions program in last year’s state budget, it still falls a huge $120 million dollars short of the former LNP Government’s landmark $495 million Royalties for Regions program,” Mr Cripps said.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s program is a pale, cheap and nasty replacement for the LNP’s hugely successful Royalties for Regions program and it’s failed dismally to deliver much needed infrastructure projects and jobs in the bush.

“In Government, the LNP delivered the Dalrymple Road Bridge, the Townsville Sewerage Treatment Plant, Blakeys Crossing, Mareeba Airport Upgrade, Innisfail Commercial Wharf and Stage 1 of the Mareeba Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“Labor’s smaller, shorter and narrower program stalled in its first year, with the Palaszczuk Government’s own 2016-17 budget papers revealing the Building our Regions program had a 99 per cent underspend in its first year – it was a flop.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk can’t turn around now and say she is bringing forward Round 3 when Round 1 never really happened and no-one knows where Round 2 is up to – Labor is tripping over the paperwork, but can’t deliver any projects.

“Labor’s Building our Regions program has been a disaster for local communities and councils but the LNP had committed to reinstating its effective Royalties for Regions program if it is returned to office at the next state election.”

Projects delivered to North Queensland through LNP’s Royalties for Regions program:

• Dalrymple Road Bridge – $40 million
• Townsville Sewerage Treatment Plant – $30 million
• Blakeys Crossing – $19.5 million
• Woolcock and Mather Street Intersection – $9 million
• Howitt and Rose Street Stormwater upgrade – $7.1 million
• Forrest Beach Water Security – $2.6 million
• Kirwan State High School Parking project – $2 million
• Home Hill Flood Mitigation Works – $4.2 million
• Burdekin Community Redevelopment project – $777,000
• Charters Towers Water Reticulation system – $715,000

Projects delivered to Far North Queensland through LNP’s Royalties for Regions program:

• Innisfail Commercial Wharf – $2.2 million
• Kuranda Critical Water Supply project – $1 million
• Mareeba Wastewater Treatment Plant Critical Infrastructure Project Stage 1 – $1.5 million
• Mareeba Airport Upgrade – $13 million
• Limestone Creek causeway realignment & upgrade – $440,000
• Upgrade of the Tinaroo Sewerage Treatment Plant – $2 million
• Redlynch Road Connection project – $2.6 million
• Cooktown Foreshore Revitalisation $6.6 million
• Mobile tire shredder to service councils in North and Far North Queensland – $850,000