SWAN Hill community residents will be waiting with bated breath for the fate of the Swan Hill bridge replacement under Labor’s 90-day infrastructure investment pipeline review.
The Coalition pledged $60 million for the Swan Hill bridge replacement project in 2019 but Labor’s IIP review razor gang could give it the chop.
In the final sitting fortnight before the winter break, I sought an urgent meeting for Swan Hill councillors to see Infrastructure Minister Catherine King to explain why this long-awaited and funded project could be abandoned.
Sadly, the minister was unavailable but all too happy to tell parliament that the IIP was “riddled with projects that were underfunded”.
This is not surprising given the increased labour costs, supply chain issues and bureaucratic delays.
If the Swan Hill bridge replacement goes by the wayside it will be another blow for the community after the project had been held up by the Victorian and New South Wales governments.
Labor’s pet projects, like Dan Andrews’ suburban rail loop, have been spared the IIP razor gang’s knife, and yet in the line for cuts are many more regional projects, like improving the Murray Valley Highway between Robinvale and Echuca.
Ms King claims the Coalition-announced projects were unfunded or rorted, yet in their first budget in October, Labor magically found funds for the snap Priority Community Infrastructure Program.
This fund exclusively funded Labor 2022 election commitments over $5 million.
Labor did a similar “Labor promises grants round” on mobile phone blackspots as well.
Thirteen months after taking office, Labor is at long last revealing their replacement programs for the Coalition’s successful Building Better Regions Fund.
I make no apology for highlighting what is happening under the Albanese Labor Government because it is regional communities that are hurting because of them.
They are putting road safety and bridge replacements on the back-burner for political reasons.
