Budget slammed for royalties' funds lack
Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Stephen Dawson has called on residents of the Goldfields-Esperance region to continue fighting for a bigger slice of the Royalties for Regions pie.
His comments were a response to those made by Minister for Regional Development Terry Redman yesterday, who suggested RFR was a scheme for all of regional WA and infighting among regions was counterproductive.
While Goldfields-Esperance local governments will be able to access $162 million under the region's revitalisation fund, it remains dwarfed by the $521 million for the Growing Our South initiative and $757 million provided for Pilbara Cities.
"It's very hard for people in the Goldfields to stomach the massive amount of spending that's been going on in places like Karratha and in fact, the massive amount of waste in places like Karratha," Mr Dawson said.
"It's not fair to say to people in the Goldfields-Esperance region, 'you have to wait your turn', when some of the royalties are coming from this region and people need to know they are getting returns for their efforts."
Mr Dawson did commend the Liberal-National Government for "finally seeing sense" in relation to gold royalties.
Yesterday's Budget confirmed that royalty rates would not increase for any commodities as a result of the Mineral Royalty Rate Analysis across the forward estimates.
Labor was quick to highlight that electricity charges were to rise by double the inflation rate, what the Opposition termed a clear broken election promise.
Mr Dawson added growing unemployment, dropping wages and rising household fees and charges to the list of complaints.
"This is not a very good Budget for anybody," he said.
"Seniors will also suffer from the Budget with seniors' concessions to be cut by $199 million, with the eligibility age gradually increased from 60 to 65 over the next few years."
Shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt went one step further, labelling Treasurer Mike Nahan's second Budget the "worst in WA history".
"Mr Barnett assumed the record prices were here to stay and spent accordingly," Mr Wyatt said.
"He put the State finances in such a vulnerable position that just a 3 per cent decline in revenue plunged the State into record deficits."
