Social and community funding flows from Queensland Cabinet’s visit to the region
Posted on February 8th, 2017
Last week’s visit by the Premier and Queensland Cabinet to our region certainly saw a number of funding announcements, predominantly in the area of social and community support, including:
Works for Queensland projects for Rockhampton region
Livingstone Shire Council’s projects for its $3.5 million allocation include:
- $3 Million Yeppoon Homemaker Centre stage 1 civil infrastructure
- $500,000 for rural floodway upgrades
Rockhampton Regional Council’s projects for its $9.38 million allocation include:
- $2.46 million for the Rockhampton hockey facilities development
- $1.54 million for Cedric Archer Park water play project
- $1.23 million for the 42nd Battalion Pool water play project
- $1.5 million for the North Rockhampton boat ramp carpark and walkways project
- $1.07 million for Mount Morgan street scaping and liveability project
- $1.58 million for upgrades to built and environmental facilities across the region
$130M fund for regional Queensland jobs plan
The Palaszczuk Government has launched the $130 million Jobs and Regional Growth Fund as part of its $1 billion plan to create jobs outside the State’s south-east, providing one-off financial assistance from $100,000 to $10 million in either direct grants or relief of State charges to promote growth and job creation.
The Jobs and Regional Growth Fund would provide assistance for:
- projects that require direct and immediate assistance to help early stage development, such as feasibility studies;
- more substantial assistance for more developed businesses to expedite or facilitate project implementation; or
- development of common-user infrastructure opportunities to underpin development of multiple projects.
The $130 million Jobs and Regional Growth Fund is in addition to:
- $375 million Building Our Regions is a targeted regional infrastructure program for local government projects, primarily for critical infrastructure in regional areas of the state. The $70 million third round of the program was opened for applications on Monday (30 January);
- $200 million Works for Queensland program to support local councils across the state undertaking job-creating, maintenance or minor infrastructure projects. Sixty-five regional councils notified of funding allocation on the basis of population and local unemployment. and invited to nominate projects by early February;
- $180 million Significant Regional Infrastructure Projects Program, part of the State Infrastructure Fund, is fast-tracking key economic and social infrastructure projects in regional centres right across Queensland including transport, health and education infrastructure;
- $100 million Back to Work provides incentives of up to $20,000 for employers taking on unemployed workers. More than 1200 jobs have been supported through the program;
- $40 million Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Program to attract businesses to Queensland, either to relocate or establish new projects in the State; and
- $20 million Made in Queensland to providing support to Queensland’s manufacturing sector through grants supplementing industry contributions.
$200 million Capricornia Correctional Centre expansion
The Government announced an additional $200 million would be invested in the expansion of the Capricornia Correctional Centre north of Rockhampton to provide an extra 164 cells at the centre, reported to create more than 100 jobs in construction and another 70 in ongoing operations.
$650,000 Rockhampton housing project
- $650,000 housing development – highest liveable design standards is set to showcase modern, accessible home design, signalling future directions in social housing construction in the Rockhampton region.
- In the current financial year, the Government has spent $2.24 million on housing maintenance and $857,000 on housing upgrades in the Rockhampton region, including reforms to help veterans facing homelessness, and providing more opportunities for victims of domestic violence who are seeking alternative accommodation.
Better Budgeting help on the way for Rockhampton residents
- Uniting Care Queensland will receive $600,000 to deliver financial support to Rockhampton residents through financial counsellors, no interest loans and Good Money stores.
