Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. My government is committed to taking a strategic and long-term approach to regional development. That's demonstrated in the policies that we've pursued as a government and continue to implement. The Regions at the ready: investing in Australia's future report canvassed a range of issues from population, economic growth, employment to livability, as I'm sure the member is aware. The Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation will table the government response in the Senate later today. We have accepted or noted all of the recommendations. I understand that the member for Indi has been offered departmental briefings on the response, and I understand she's agreed to undertake those briefings.

The government will convene an expert panel to undertake a targeted assessment of the issues raised in the report, and they will report back to the government by 31 March 2019. In the meantime, there is $641.6 million for three rounds of the Building Better Regions Fund; $270 million supporting transformational investments through the Regional Growth Fund; $220 million through the regional jobs and investment packages; $137 billion for the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund; $2 billion for the National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility to help identify and build water infrastructure that supports jobs creation and opportunities; $1.8 billion in drought assistance measures and concessional loans to support drought-affected farmers—

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