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Birrell concerned Labor may slash regional funding nation-wide

By Max Stainkamph

Sep 13, 2022

Concern: Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell has called on the Federal Government to increase spending in regional Australia. Photo by MICK TSIKAS

Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell is worried the Federal Government might slash billions of dollars of investment in regional Australia in its October budget.

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Labor will hold its own budget in October after winning government in May, when the budget is normally announced.

Mr Birrell said he was worried Labor might undo funding pledges for regional Australia, which the Coalition had in its April budget.

“Labor already has a raft of programs and funding committed by the former Coalition Government under review and has indicated it will scrap billions of dollars in regional investment planned for the next decade,” Mr Birrell said.

“Regional Australia is facing a horror federal budget at a time when regional investment is more critical than ever.”

On Tuesday, September 13, the Regional Australia Institute launched Regionalisation Ambition 2032 – a Framework to Rebalance the Nation, which is a plan to have 11 million people living outside capital cities by 2032.

Reaching that target would mean an extra 500,000 people living in regional Australia.

Mr Birrell said he wanted to see regional Australia develop.

“I don't want an Australia that's dominated by a few ever-expanding megacities,” Mr Birrell said.

“For Nicholls and other regional electorates to cope with the influx of new residents during the pandemic and the forecasts for further population growth there needs to be a steady and reliable pipeline of investment.

“Now is not the time for the Albanese Government to back away from investing in regional Australia.”