REGIONAL road funding had come under scrutiny with the state Liberals announcing that 30 per cent of the state’s mining royalties would return to regional SA, particularly roads, if elected in March.
The Regional Roads and Infrastructure Fund would quarantine 30pc of the mining royalty revenue – a projected $75m a year – to be used on regional road and infrastructure upgrades.
Opposition leader Steven Marshall said anyone who has travelled through the state would know many major regional roads “just aren’t up to scratch”.
“The Weatherill Labor Government has continually slashed speed limits on our regional roads instead of investing in upgrading our regional roads and making them safer,” he said.
But Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan has hit back, saying this would actually be a cut in existing funding levels.
He said the state government would spend $94m on regional road safety and maintenance projects this year, while the almost two-thirds of the SA’s road maintenance and safety budget of $532m across the next four years was being spend on country roads.
He said this included 596 kilometres of rural roads resurfaced and 170km of shoulder re-sheeting and 190km of shoulder resealing.
“This Liberal policy is a real slap in the face to the SA regions which have already suffered a $9m a year cut from regional road maintenance funding from the Commonwealth Government in the 2014-15 Budget,” he said.
Opposition regional development spokesperson David Ridgway said the assertion that they would cut regional funding was “laughable” and incorrect.
“(This) announcement is just one part of our overall regional package and we will have much more to say before the election,” he said.
“No matter where I travel, people always talk about the conditions of the roads.
“We would leverage this money with federal and local government funding and turn a significant amount of funding into a very significant amount.
“Investing in regional roads and infrastructure will not only benefit our primary industries but all regional communities and residents who travel thousands of kilometres on our roads every year.”
Mr Ridgway said the main focus of this royalties for regions policy was roads but regional infrastructure such as mobile phone towers in blackspots and ports could also benefit.
He said the mining royalties were available for all in the state and this was a way of ensuring that people in the regions did not miss out.
“Roughly 30pc of the population live in regions so it is fair and equitable that we invest 30pc in our regions,” he said.
Mining royalties are expected to be $252.5m in the next financial year, but Mr Ridgway says an upturn is expected as commodity prices continue to rise.
“So it’s likely the amount we’ll be investing under our royalties for regions policy will increase,” he said.
Australian Conservatives MLC Robert Brokenshire has welcomed the announcement, saying it supports his long held policy for a Royalties for
Regions fund.
“If the Liberals win Government next March and the Australian Conservatives are
returned to the Upper House, it would guarantee that this policy would get through
and that our regions will finally have guaranteed investment that would be annexed
for their use,” he said.
“Royalties for Regions is a policy that I have pushed for because I believe it will
deliver guaranteed investment which is necessary to develop our rural areas into
vibrant regions with strong economies and provide the socio-economic foundation
necessary for job growth.”
Primary Producers SA independent chair Rob Kerin said he would welcome an increase in funding for regional areas, if it was an increase.
“Regional SA really needs more money spent on the road network than is presently the case,” he said.
