Bridget McKenzie claims Victorian councils, community groups left ‘in limbo’ waiting for funding

Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie used her visit to Ballarat to claim the city’s showgrounds as one of the ’thousands of local projects cut or delayed’ by the federal Labor Party.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie outside the Ballarat Showgrounds. Photo: Twitter

A Nationals senator has accused the federal government of leaving regional Victorian councils and community organisations “waiting in limbo” since the cancellation of federal funding programs.

Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie visited Ballarat at the weekend, naming the city’s showgrounds one of the “thousands of local projects cut or delayed” by the federal Labor Party.

She said the election in November 2022 had led to a “funding black hole” in Victoria’s regions.

Labor’s federal budget, outlined in October last year, included two programs meant to replace the Building Better Regions Fund, which was the former government’s grants program.

The two schemes, called the Growing Regions Program and the regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, were allocated $1bn over three years.

They are yet to become available: a search for either program leads to a government website saying that more information will be given “in due course”.

It is understood the guidelines for these programs are still being worked out.

“It is now 12 months since 815 councils and community organisations applied for funding to deliver shovel-ready projects under the former Coalition Government’s Building Better Regions Program Round 6,” Ms McKenzie said.

“Building Better Regions was scrapped by Labor in the October budget, alongside the Community Development Grants program, but so far no alternative funding opportunities been made available to replace them.

“The Opposition acknowledges the government have said they will have new programs with refreshed protocols to replace Coalition programs, but after eight months in office neither the guidelines nor application timelines have been released, meaning money intended to be spent this year will not hit the ground to next financial year at the earliest.”

Ballarat MP and Regional Development Minister Catherine King said Ms McKenzie was “spouting nonsense” and the former government had “delivered nothing” for Ballarat.

“As she well knows,” Ms King said, “the Coalition Government rushed to an election without making any decisions on the final round of the Building Better Regions Fund grant program.

“No applications had been chosen, and no money had been allocated.”

The City of Ballarat, which, it is understood, had applied to the BBR fund for improvements to the Ballarat Showgrounds, would not comment on the situation.