Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Building Better Regions Fund focuses on creating jobs, driving economic growth and building stronger and more resilient regional communities into the future. Nationally, through the first three rounds the fund has supported a diverse range of important projects in regional areas, ranging from tourism and transport projects to cultural, sporting and healthcare facilities. My electorate of Barker is a truly community focused electorate, jam-packed with hardworking, dedicated volunteers and passionate constituents. That is one of the reasons why we have had so much success with the Building Better Regions Fund.

On Sunday, I attended the Naracoorte World Heritage Festival and Run, a project run with the Naracoorte Lucindale Council and supported by our government via a $20,000 grant from the fund. It was a brilliant event that celebrated 50 years since the discovery of fossils in the Naracoorte Caves and 25 years since the Naracoorte Caves precinct was listed as a World Heritage site. It's not just community events like this that are being supported. There are infrastructure projects too. From hydrotherapy pools in the Barossa, the Sturt Reserve recreation precinct in Murray Bridge and community halls in Mil-Lel and the Coonawarra, these projects are strengthening communities across Barker, with over $12 million invested through more than 40 projects.

Round 4 of the fund has opened and this round is focused on drought affected communities to help get local projects and infrastructure works underway to strengthen regional communities, keep tradies working and keep money flowing through local stores.