ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS —
PROJECTS
805. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the Minister for Regional Development:
I ask this question on behalf of Hon
Dr Steve Thomas, who is on urgent parliamentary business.
I refer to the royalties for regions
program.
(1) What
assessment has the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
done on previous royalties for regions projects and programs that have left
ongoing management or maintenance costs to the state or local governments?
(2) Will the
minister provide a current list of such projects or programs and the estimated
ongoing costs?
(3) What projects
or programs have been provided with ongoing funding for management or
maintenance costs and for what levels of funding?
(4) What is the
total of royalties for regions funding spent on Labor election commitments since
March 2017?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the
question.
(1)–(2) I
am advised that no formal assessment has been undertaken by the department;
however, this issue is often raised with me by regional communities. I understand
that it has been standard practice under the royalties for regions program for
recipients to agree to take responsibility for and make appropriate
arrangements to fund ongoing maintenance and management of new facilities.
Despite this, we have received a number requests from local governments for
further investment in infrastructure such as solar power systems to help them
cope with ongoing operating costs. Examples include the Ningaloo Centre in
Exmouth and the Gascoyne Junction Tourist Park.
(3) Specific royalties
for regions–funded projects under the previous government that include
a provision for ongoing management or
maintenance activities across the forward estimates include: the Albany
Entertainment Centre, $2 million; the Goldfields Arts Centre, $0.6 million;
the community safety network program, $34.9 million; and remote swimming pools,
$2.9 million.
(4) The 2017–18 state
budget included more than $1 billion of investment in new regional projects.