Here are some of the key announcements from Thursday’s State Budget for the Wheatbelt.
Which budget items stand out to you?
At a glance
- $295.8 million for job-creating infrastructure in the Wheatbelt
- $45 million over four years for the Building Western Australia’s Grains Research and Development Capacity
- $22.5 million for the Regional Economic Development Grants Scheme to drive economic development in regional Western Australia
- $17.2 million towards road safety treatments to the Great Eastern Highway
- $2.4 million is being made available to continue improvements on Toodyay Road
- $20.5 million for the Target 120 program for early intervention into young offenders
- $80 million to enhance rural bushfire capacity across the State through the new Rural Fire Division
- $70 million improvements to regional roads across the State identified as high risk for runoff crashes
Projects in the Wheatbelt
- $10 million funding allocated to AgLime transport networks to support the safe and efficient travel of freight vehicles
- $3.7 million to support educational programs at Muresk Institute of Agriculture
- $1.5 million over three years for a capability building program for Aboriginal businesses, to support the Aboriginal procurement policy
- $16 million to continue the Aboriginal Rangers Program over the next 4 years, to provide jobs looking after State parks and protected areas
- $5.5 million investment into the Narrogin and Northam Cancer Centres to strengthen cancer services in regional WA
- $12 million towards replacing two bridges in Williams along the Albany Highway
- $4.8 million to upgrade the Cunderdin Pump Station
- $17.7 million for the redevelopment and upgrade of Merredin District Hospital in the Eastern Wheatbelt District and the Narrogin District Health Campus in the Upper Great Southern District
Community developments
- $18.5 million over four years for the Regional Enforcement Unit to increase traffic enforcement on country roads
- More than $2 billion will be spent on the State’s regional roads between 2018-19 and 2021-22
- $39.7 million over four years to boost tourism funding to showcase regional destinations
- $4.5 million over four years for new and emerging regional businesses as part of the New Industries Fund
- $1.6 million over four years for the Find Cancer Early program in regional areas
- $6.8 million over two years for the renal dialysis program
- $182.3 million over four years for the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme to support regional Western Australians when they need to travel for medical treatment
- $136 million over four years for the Country Age Pension Fuel Card and $4 million for the volunteer fuel card
- $37 million for Community Resources Centres across regional Western Australia
- $24.8 million for the Natural Resources Management Program
- Putting education assistants and Aboriginal and Islander Education Officers back into regional classrooms
- Funding to put Independent Learning Coordinators in 10 regional schools will assist students undertaking courses through the School of Isolated and Distance Education
- Eight Regional Learning Specialists allocated to the School of Isolated and Distance Education to provide specialist classes for Year 11 and 12 students
Compare the pair
2018/19 – AgLime transport networks – $10 million
2017/18 – AgLime transport networks – $10 million
2018/19 – Tourism – $39.7 million over four years
2017/18 – Tourism – $27.9 million boost
2018/19 – Natural Resource Management Program – $24.8 million
2017/18 – Natural Resource Management Program – $14.6 million
2018/19 – Regional Enforcement Unit – $18.5 million over four years
2017/18 – Regional Enforcement Unit – $18.5 million over four years
2018/19 – Country Age Pension Fuel Card – $136 million over four years
2017/18 – Country Age Pension Fuel Card – $136 million over four years
2018/19 – volunteer fuel card – $4 million
2017/18 – volunteer fuel card – $4 million