Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the Labor government’s latest backflip—this time on Regional Partnerships. I understand that the government will now give 86 not-for-profit and local government projects until 31 July to complete contract negotiations with the department. However, I am yet to see which of these projects will benefit in my electorate of Forrest. There are a number of Regional Partnerships projects that had received written approval of funding from the Department of Transport and Regional Services before the last election. I will be very interested to see which of these 86 will receive consideration—and I am hopeful that all of them will.

The first one is Bunbury Sea Rescue, an inshore project for the purchase of a rescue boat. That was approved in August 2007. The second one is the Dunsborough and Districts Country Club, for a ‘new lease on life’ project, approved in August 2007. The next is the Shire of Nannup, for the Nannup Timewood Centre, a co-location project approved in July 2007. The next one is the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup, for the Gnangangarick Waugal Sculpture Park project, an extremely worthwhile project approved in May 2007. Then we have the Morrissey Homestead, for the Leschenault Morrissey Homestead Special Needs and Community Facility Australind project, approved in May 2006. Each one of these preapproved projects is worthy of consideration and funding under the Regional Partnerships program.

Additional projects were submitted as well: the Shire of Augusta Margaret River Jewel Cave upgrade; the Busselton jetty upgrade; the Bunbury and Districts Hockey Stadium; the Augusta Margaret River wine-cloning rapid multiplication project; the Geographe Bay Tourism Association Cape Naturaliste lighthouse project; the Stinton Gardens function room; the Australind playing fields; the south-west speedway training centre, Lake Kepwari; the Stirling Street Arts Centre; the Ferguson Valley centre; the Donnybrook medical centre; the Manjimup truffles project; the St Marys Community Care BUZ Hive project; and the Manjimup avocado summer fruit program. All of these extremely valuable regional projects were to receive funding or had submitted for funding under the Regional Partnerships program. They are of immeasurable value in my community. (Time expired)