Electorate dealt a federal budget blow: Mark Coulton

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has taken aim at the first federal budget delivered by the new Labor government.

Mr Coulton has particularly slammed the axing of the Building Better Regions Fund.

The fund was a regional grants program designed to deliver funding for regional infrastructure projects and community development activities.

Narrabri was among many local government areas across the nation to benefit from the former federal government’s grants program.

“The slashing of the Building Better Regions Fund is a devastating loss for communities throughout my electorate,” Mr Coulton said.

“This program injected more than $46 million into the Parkes electorate since it was established, funding projects that are making a real and tangible difference in many of our communities.”

In addition to the slashing of the Building Better Regions Fund, Mr Coulton has criticised the budget for not adequately addressing childcare challenges in regional Australia.

“Childcare has been trumpeted as a winner in this budget, but that is not the case for regional Australia,” he said.

“Childcare affordability is not the main issue for our regional families – accessibility is.

“Funding rebates do nothing to help those families in the Parkes electorate who are unable to return to work because they can’t access childcare in their town. Of the $4.7 billion in childcare measures, there is no money to create one new childcare facility.”

Mr Coulton said families will also be worse off as a result of this budget, which is in complete contrast to Labor’s election promises.

“In fact, families will be at least $2000 worse off by Christmas. Cost of living pressures will only be exacerbated with electricity and gas prices set to rise sharply,” he said.

“Interest rates have already gone up and are predicted to go up a further 75 basis points, which is ripping hundreds of dollars out of households each month.

“Basin communities across the Parkes electorate face the prospect of indiscriminate water buybacks. Despite having no dollars listed, Labor has clearly indicated they are going back to the dark days of water buybacks in an effort to return 450 gigalitres to South Australia.

“As a former show president, I’m also very disappointed to see the budget will not proceed with round two of the Agricultural Shows Development Grant program and a partial reversal of the Agricultural Shows and Field Days program. These programs were introduced to help our agricultural shows and field days recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and have kept these important local events from folding.

“After 10 years in opposition, Labor is clearly taking out its frustration on regional Australia, scrapping programs and funding that had significant benefit to the bush.”

In delivering his budget speech, Treasurer Jim Chalmers described it as a responsible budget that is right for the times and readies Australia for the future.

“This is a solid and sensible budget – suited to the conditions. Australians know this is a time of great challenge and change,” he said.

The federal government has touted cheaper childcare, expanded parental leave, cheaper medicines and measures to address housing affordability as some of the big budget winners.

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King hit back at claims that regional Australia was neglected in the budget.

“The Albanese government’s commitment to regional Australia has been confirmed by evidence given to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee in Budget Estimates hearings today [October 28].

“The committee was told that, compared to the March budget, funding for regional projects within the Infrastructure Investment Program in the October budget has gone up by around $4 billion dollars.”