Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has today announced the East Kimberley Region will receive $195 million in Federal funds to support further economic development in the area.
The Prime Minister made the comments while visiting the Ord River Irrigation Area in Kununurra, Western Australia, today.
Under the package, the money will be spent over 2008-09 and 2009-10 on roads, ports, and power.
According to Mr Rudd, the East Kimberley Development Package is aimed at doubling the available irrigated development area from 14,000 to 28,000 hectares to provide possible large scale expansion of agriculture.
Key investments for the region could include:
* an upgrading of the M1 channel to service up to 16,000 hectares in the Weber Plains area;
* investments in local roads around Kununurra;
* the extension of the Kununurra airport runway; and
* an expansion of the Wyndham port facilities to address constraints and deficiencies in supply chain logistics which currently affect irrigated agriculture, mining, tourism and other export focused activities.
The social infrastructure component of this package would include investment in schools, health, early childhood, aged care and recreational facilities.
The West Australian Government will match the Rudd Government’s contribution, which is conditional on a joint assessment of the most effective infrastructure investments to meet the social and economic development needs of the region.
The Commonwealth's Office of Northern Australia will lead the joint assessment process, under the Parliament Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia, Gary Gray.
The group will report in March 2009.
The assessment process will consider the long term economic viability and environmental sustainability of irrigated agriculture for the region.
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