Following the State Government’s announcement of a recommended two-tier-system funding cut for all Community Resource Centres, Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan has said cuts need to be made to cater for “really, really important” investments.
Under the CRC cuts, to be implemented in July next year, funding allocation will depend on the population of the area and the proximity to other CRCs.
The Government said under the recommended approach, the majority of CRCs will be offered $70,000 a year.
Other CRCs will be offered $50,000 a year if they are within a community over 3,000 people or they are within 30km to another CRC or major regional centre.
In their announcement, the Government said they have written to all Community Resource Centres seeking feedback on a recommendation.
Minister MacTiernan spoke to the media at the opening of the new Northam Grains Research Facility, which saw a further investment of $24 million put into grains research and development.
Minister MacTiernan said the cuts to CRCs needed to be done in order to save costs for other projects.
“We’re got to show that we’ve got fiscal discipline,” she said.
“If we’re going to be able to do these really, really important things, like continuing to invest in research and development, so we’ve actually got an industry in this country, we need to tighten up in the budget in other areas.”
Minister MacTiernan said there was the possibility for some negotiation of funding at the margins, after feedback was given but where one group gained funds, another would lose them.
“At the margins it’s possible, but what we are trying to do is look at getting a proper spread of these services,” she said.
“In some areas there are huge concentrations of CRCs and in other areas there are not, so what we’re trying to do is be fair to everyone.
“We don’t want to close any of these facilities.”