WA receives small fraction of federal road and rail budget; Treasurer says state deserves ‘fair share’

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The budget has received a luke-warm reception in WA largely because of the state's shrinking share of road and rail infrastructure funding. It's one of a number of worries for the business community as the federal government further delays a decision on a key gas project in the state's north.

Transcript

00:00On the road to the federal election, WA is being left behind, getting just a fraction

00:08of the money set aside for road and rail projects in the federal budget.

00:12This is not a story that ends today.

00:15This is a continuing story and a continual challenge for Western Australia to continue

00:19to get our fair share.

00:20Of the $17 billion Labor's pledging over the next decade, WA is being promised just 2%,

00:27all for one project widening the Kwinana Freeway.

00:30We've also got another $640 million that's been provisioned to the state that is unallocated

00:36as yet and we'll be working with the federal government on the allocation of that road

00:41funding.

00:42But that money's only earmarked to be spent from 2029.

00:45If WA is going to continue to support the nation's finances, well the nation needs to

00:51invest in WA's infrastructure.

00:53The state's peak business and mining bodies are also concerned by news the deadline for

00:58the Federal Environment Minister to consider approving an extension to the Northwest Shelf

01:02Gas Project has been pushed beyond the election.

01:06This project is of vital importance to our great state and quite frankly it is an absolute

01:13disgrace.

01:15It is an act of cynical political manipulation.

01:18A spokesperson for Minister Tanya Plibersek says her department requested more time and

01:23the process as set out by the law would be followed.

01:26We've said that the process has taken too long.

01:30It's taken six years.

01:32We want to see environmental reforms more broadly for any project here in the state

01:37that are efficient and timely and give certainty so that investors can make decisions to bring

01:42capital here.

01:43But the delay's been welcomed by Greenpeace which called for rigorous assessment and due

01:47process given the potential for serious and irreversible harm to the environment.

01:52For the Liberals and Nationals though, the focus has been in their leaders Basil Zemplis

01:57and Shane Love meeting for the first time to hash out how they'll work together in opposition.

02:02There's no agreement yet but with parliament back in two weeks, the pressure's on to reach

02:07one soon.

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