Jenny Hill, Ramon Jayo, Lyn McLaughlin respond to the federal budget
The federal government budget has left North Queensland’s mayors with more questions than answers.
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THE federal budget has left North Queensland’s mayors with more questions than answers.
The North benefited in pre-budget announcements, but the Townsville, Hinchinbrook and Burdekin mayors were all waiting for the fine print.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said there were not many Townsville-specific items, but there was more funding made available for the 2019 floods.
But, Cr Hill said the “proof will be in the pudding” as further details needed to be revealed.
Cr Hill also took a swipe at the government’s decision to shift support for Indigenous housing back on the state government.
The budget papers revealed the federal government would provide $100m to Queensland to assist with the costs of remote Indigenous housing, with the Queensland government assuming all responsibility.
“In light of the federal government collecting more than 80 per cent of the revenue, you would think they would want to support Indigenous housing particularly in remote locations,” Cr Hill said.
Hinchinbrook Shire Mayor Ramon Jayo said that although he had not had the opportunity to explore which projects had been funded in the district, he understood that an additional $400,000 had been allocated for local roads and the “community infrastructure program” and $600,000 for “bridge replacement issues”.
Cr Jayo said local businesses also stood to benefit from being able to write-off the cost of depreciable assets and “being able to recover the money straight away”.
“The tax relief is almost universally welcomed and that given the extent of businesses in our area, particularly in the farming sector, the instant tax write-off relief will augur well for businesses to update machinery that may have not already occurred due to factors such as low sugar prices,” Cr Jayo said.
“I think it (the budget) will go a long way to assisting us in creating projects that will offer employment opportunities in our district.”
Cr Jayo said he was also “eagerly awaiting details of the additional funding for water infrastructure”.
“We are pursuing storage capacity in respect to the Stone River area and we welcome the announcement of additional funding that we can apply for and obtain feasibility money.”
The mayor has been seeking to diversify Hinchinbrook’s agricultural sector away from a reliance on sugar cane.
A move toward irrigation and growing cash crops such as legumes and rice could help farmers in times of adverse weather conditions or depressed sugar prices.
Burdekin Mayor Lyn McLaughlin said the council would be applying for programs released in the coming months to fund its “shovel ready projects”.
“Not having had any communication (regarding the $64 million funded for the Burdekin Bridge) I am assuming this will continue the rehabilitation and maintenance of this vital transport link infrastructure,” she said.
Originally published as Jenny Hill, Ramon Jayo, Lyn McLaughlin respond to the federal budget