Regional Budget Highlights
$444.4 million package to help sugar industry
The Australian Government will provide up to $444.4 million over five years for a comprehensive range of measures to help the nation's sugar industry. The Sugar Industry Reform Programme 2004 will have as its centrepiece a $146.1 million sustainability grant and $75 million for regional and community projects.
AusLink
The Australian Government will spend $11.4 billion on land transport over the next five years. This consists of almost $11 billion in road and rail funding and a one-off $450 million investment for new rail infrastructure projects in 2003-04.
Regional Partnerships
The Government will spend a total of $308.2 million over the four years from 2004-05 on the Regional Partnerships programme, which supports this approach to regional development. This includes new funding of $78.2 million.
Sustainable Regions
Funding of $32.5 million for 2004-05 has been allocated for the Australian Government’s successful Sustainable Regions programme with the aim of assisting selected regions undergoing major economic, social or technological change and supports community leadership in the development of local solutions.
Regional Plans Lead the Way
In 2004-05, over $300 million will be invested through regional organisations from the National Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan. In addition this Budget will provide an extra $300 million to continue the Natural Heritage Trust into 2007-08. This Trust is the largest and most successful environmental rescue effort ever undertaken in Australia’s history.
Schools’ Country Areas Programme
In 2004-05 the Australian Government will provide an estimated $26 million under the Country Areas Programme which will benefit Australian schools in rural and remote communities. Of the $26 million, an estimated $22 million will be provided to state government schools and an estimated $4 million to Catholic and independent schools.
Schools’ Capital Grants Programme
In 2004-05 the Australian Government will provide a record $373.4 million as part of its school Capital Grants Programme. This represents an estimated increase of $26 million or 7.5 per cent over 2003-04. The programme provides state and territory governments funding to assist them to build, maintain and upgrade state schools throughout Australia.
Extra Funding for Regional Universities
This measure provides $146 million over five years (commencing 2003-04) to support the provision of higher education at regional campuses which face higher costs as a result of such factors as location, size and history.
Strengthening Security at Australia’s Regional Airports
Airports in regional Australia will receive an extra $21 million in transport security funding in 2004-05. This brings a total of $35 million now available to help smaller airports implement security measures. The extra funding more than doubles the $14 million announced in the Government’s Enhanced Aviation Security Package in December 2003, reflecting the high priority of transport security in our regions.
Stronger Families and Communities
The Government is building on the considerable investment in early childhood development and parenting made in the first four years of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy by providing $365.8 million over the next four years. Funding will be available through four funding streams: Communities for Children, Early Childhood — Invest to Grow; Local Answers; and Choice and Flexibility in Child Care. This strategy will continue with a particular focus on rural and remote areas.
Boost for Regional Settlement
The Government is committed to having regional Australia share the benefits brought by our Migration Programme through achieving a greater dispersal of our migrant and humanitarian intake to regional areas. The Government is committing $13.4 million over four years from 2004-05 to ensure the long-term success of regional settlement. This funding is additional to that already provided for settlement services in regional Australia, such as English language provision in regional locations. The funding will assist the travel and associated costs of humanitarian settlement, identify and provide settlement support needed for dependants of skilled and family migrants and provide increased community grants to strengthen migrant communities in regional Australia.
Regional Migration Initiatives
The Government will provide $29.8 million (including $1.8 million capital funding) over four years from 2004-05 for the implementation of key initiatives to attract people with much needed skills and resources to regional Australia and to smaller capital cities. This will help lower the levels of migration to larger capital cities, Sydney in particular.
National Crime Prevention
Building on the achievements of the National Crime Prevention Programme, in the 2004-05 Budget, the Australian Government has committed a further $20 million over four years to a new National Community Crime Prevention Programme. The centrepiece of the programme is a national community grants fund providing funding for grass roots projects designed to enhance community safety and crime prevention by preventing or reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, improving community safety and security, and reducing the fear of crime.
Continuing to Support the Rural Health Strategy
This year’s Budget demonstrates the Government’s continued commitment to the health and well being of rural and remote Australians. Building on the Regional Health Strategy — More Doctors, Better Services, announced in the 2000-01 Budget, the 2004 Rural Health Strategy provides $830.2 million over four years, for a flexible package of health and aged care services and workforce measures. An example of this strategy is the $100 million provided to the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 2003.
Improved Job Network
Regional Australia is benefiting from the improvements to Job Network announced in the 2002-03 Budget. Job Network is a national network of private and community organisations assisting unemployed, particularly long-term unemployed, people to find jobs. On 1 July 2003, the Government’s third employment services contract (2003-06), incorporating the Active Participation Model, was introduced. The contract provides a number of improvements to services available to job seekers, including those living in regional Australia.
Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme
The Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS 2003-07) is a $107.8 million programme designed to provide regional Australians with access to higher bandwidth services at prices comparable to those available in metropolitan Australia.
The scheme operates in regional, rural and remote areas where broadband is unlikely to be provided commercially in the immediate future and targets residential users, small business and not-for-profit organisations. HiBIS customers benefit from improved access to more affordable and reliable higher bandwidth services.