PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has promised fairness for regional Australia in her first press conference since securing the support of most cross-benchers to form a minority Government.
Ms Gillard announced a $9.9 billion additional regional Australia package which would see the next rounds of health and education funding commitments fast-tracked and delivered exclusively to rural areas.
The regional package will also ensure a priority is placed on regional areas as the National Broadband Network is built along, with an $800 million regional investment fund now on offer.
Click here for details on Labor's additional spending programs for the bush.
Details of the impact of the negotiations on the Budget are here.
Following confirmation by two of the three rural independents that they would support Labor, the Government revealed its plan which it called "a better deal for regional Australia".
The plan said "regional Australia will receive better services, infrastructure and experience better economic development opportunities through the new Government’s up to an additional $10 billion investment".
With the roll-out of the NBN to rural areas, the Government offered uniform wholesale prices to ensure city and country people pay the same for broadband services regardless of where they live.
For the first time, the Government says it will provide a one-third guarantee in new investments in regional Australia – to improve education and health services around the country.
In dollar terms that means at least $41 million of the $123m provided for in the 2010-11 Budget to upgrade general practices, community health services and Aboriginal Medical Services; at least a $66m entitlement of the $200m of the Critical Skills Investment Fund will go to regional businesses and workers; $125m of the $388m reward payments will go to the most improved schools in regional Australia; and $15m of the $47m facilitation payments allocated as part of the initial national roll out of greater local school autonomy.
In addition, the new Government will provide an extra $1.4 billion in investment in infrastructure and economic development of regional Australia, which includes a new $800m Priority Regional Infrastructure program to investment in projects identified by local communities in regional areas, and $573m investment to support local projects in regional areas that unlock new growth opportunities in regional Australia.
Ms Gillard pledged that as Prime Minister she would work hard to deliver fairness for regional Australia.
"I will work tirelessly to do what we said we would do, and that is of course to forge a new paradigm of modern government in this country; to deliver for regional Australia, recognising that in our nation one size does not fit all; to redeem the hope you have placed in me and Labor; and to be faithful to the trust that has been extended to us," she said.
"Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor came and they asked us for fairness for regional Australia and we were happy to work through with them to achieve that fairness…
"We will make sure that regional Australia gets its fair share of our upgrade of primary care facilities from which doctors work; of our critical skills investment fund; of our new reward payments for schools and our new funding for local school control.
"We will also ensure that the National Broadband Network offers the benefit of uniform wholesale prices to end the difficulties with telecommunications and difference in price for regional Australia, and we will ensure that priority is given to regional Australia as the NBN is built."
Ms Gillard confirmed on Tuesday Mr Oakeshott has been offered a senior role in the new government, rumoured to be regional development, and she said there would be a role for him to help drive the parliamentary reforms he helped negotiate and ensure the delivery of the rural commitments should he accept that offer.
It's not known yet when Labor's new frontbench line-up will be announced, but it is expected by the end of this week.
Email a friend