1. Budget Highlights
Regional Development Australia
The Government is committed to genuine engagement with regional communities. We have established Regional Development Australia to ensure effective engagement with communities.
This new body will transition from the network of Area Consultative Committees and will take on a broader role to provide strategic input into national programs, improve the coordination of the Government's regional development initiatives and link closely to local governments and other regional organisations.
Better Regions
A total of $176 million will be provided over four years for a range of regional infrastructure election commitments which have been identified by local communities as priorities for their regions.
Well planned, funded and essential infrastructure supports towns and communities, attracts greater investment, creates job opportunities and supports their quality of life.
In addition to our Better Regions program, the Government will introduce a new Regional and Local Community Infrastructure program from 2009‑10 to invest in the future of our regional communities.
Australia's Farming Future
The Government has committed $130 million over four years to the Australia's Farming Future initiative to help primary industries adapt and respond to climate change. Beginning in July, it will deliver three programs:
- Climate Change Adaptation Partnerships program ($60 million over fours years) to develop practical demonstrations that improve the sector's response to climate change
- Climate Change and Productivity Research program ($15 million over fours years) to undertake research on managing emissions and adaptation, and
- Climate Change Adjustment program ($55 million over fours years) to provide primary producers with professional advice, training and re-establishment grants.
Cooperation and planning in northern Australia
The Government will provide $8 million over four years from 2008‑09 for the recently established Office of Northern Australia to provide high-level advice and improve cooperation and planning for major initiatives across northern Australia. It will be located in Darwin and Townsville.
The Government has moved responsibility for the Northern Australian Land and Water Taskforce to the Office of Northern Australia and has expanded its terms of reference to give it a broader sustainability focus and to identify development opportunities across a range of sectors.
Nation-building Infrastructure
An investment of $3.2 billion will help drive Australia's prosperity through a range of nation-building road and rail initiatives across Australia as part of the Government's fresh approach to infrastructure development.
The Government is leading infrastructure reform by establishing Infrastructure Australia, with an allocation of $20 million over four years, to audit nationally significant infrastructure, coordinate infrastructure development across the nation and advise on policy and regulatory reforms to improve use of existing infrastructure.
Local councils
The Government will provide nearly $1.9 billion in financial assistance grants to local councils in 2008‑09 to spend on priorities including improving local roads, environment protection and community facilities such as swimming pools and health centres.
Regional airports funding
The Government is providing up to $12.6 million over four years, from 2007‑08, to assist 29 regional airports with baggage security screening.
The Regional Airport Funding program provides $29.5 million to assist up to 150 regional airports to implement basic security measures required under the Aviation Transport Security regulatory regime.
Air services for regional Australians
The Government is providing $44.7 million over four years to subsidise weekly flights to remote communities in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and Cape Barren Island, under the Remote Air Services Subsidy Scheme.
Broadband
The Government has committed $270.7 million under the Australian Broadband Guarantee to ensure all Australians, particularly people living in regional Australia have access to metro-comparable broadband services. The Australian Broadband Guarantee aims to improve broadband services and information accessibility, and is primarily targeted to benefit people in rural and regional areas.
Education revolution in the regions
The Government has committed to a Digital Education Revolution as a core part of the broader Education Revolution, enabling students, including in regional Australia, to gain skills to equip them for life and work in a digital world. The funding commitment is now $1.2 billion over five years to 2011-2012 with a further $200 million provided in the 2008‑09 Budget to support the National Secondary Schools Computer Fund beyond the initial four year funding period to 2011-2012.
Regional Australia will also benefit from the range of Education Revolution initiatives in the Budget, including the $2.5 billion Trade Training Centres in Schools program and Skilling Australia for the Future, which will deliver an additional 630, 000 training places over the next five years.
Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme
The Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme subsidy for standard passenger vehicles will be increased to $180 to help foster growth and development in Tasmania.
Reef Rescue Plan
The Government has committed $200 million over five years to the national Reef Rescue Plan, to tackle climate change and improve water quality in the Great Barrier Reef through improved land management, water-quality monitoring and research and development.
Emissions Trading Scheme
The Government has provided around $69 million, including around $31 million in additional funding to design and implement an environmentally effective and economically responsible greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme. The emissions trading scheme is the centre-piece of the Government's effort to reduce emissions and will be introduced in 2010.
Water for the Future
The Government will bring forward $400 million in funding to take urgent action in the Murray-Darling Basin through water efficiency measures in irrigation systems and increasing funds available to purchase water for environmental flows. Water for the Future also includes the National Urban Water and Desalination Plan, the National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns and the National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative.
Caring for our Country
The Government has committed $2.25 billion to the Caring for our Country program, which provides funding to regions and local communities through an integrated approach to natural resource management in Australia.
Forest Industries
The Government will provide $20 million over four years to prepare Australia's forest industries for the future. The Preparing Australia's Forestry Industry for the Future program supports an important contributor to our regional economy, providing jobs for Australians in many regional areas and in the vibrant processing sector.
Weeds
The Government is committed to protecting our environment from invasive plants, and will invest $15 million over four years to reduce the impact of weeds on farm and forestry productivity and biodiversity, and $0.3 million over two years for a comprehensive fireweed research project.
Transitional income support
The Government has committed to providing Transitional Income Support, which will commence on 16 June 2008 and continue until 30 June 2009, at an estimated cost of $14.5 million. The measure will provide income support at the Newstart rate, to farm families in financial difficulty.
Clean energy industries
The Government is providing more than $1 billion to develop Australia's capacity in clean energy technology development through the $500 million Renewable Energy Fund, the $150 million Clean Energy Fund and the $500 million National Clean Coal Fund. These technologies will enable energy users in the future to access cleaner, less emission intensive electricity. Many clean energy generation facilities are and will be located in regional and rural areas to capitalise on the availability of natural resources such as solar, coal, gas, wind, geothermal and wave energy.
Services and facilities in the Northern Territory
The 2008‑09 Budget includes funding for the construction and operation of three new boarding facilities in the Northern Territory ($28.9 million over four years) which will enable 152 remote Indigenous students in Years 8 to 12 to access secondary school education. The Government will also commit $2.3 million to fund 10 crèches; $19.1 million to continue accelerated literacy and numeracy programs, quality teaching, professional development of the Indigenous teaching workforce and to build new classrooms in the Northern Territory; and $7.4 million to continue the School Nutrition program. These measures for 2008‑09 build on previous education measures and on the $98.8 million in funding to provide 200 new teachers in the Northern Territory.
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