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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-05-13 Daily Xml
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COMMONWEALTH NATION BUILDING PROGRAM

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. M.C. Parnell:

That the regulations under the Development Act 1993 concerning Commonwealth Nation Building Program, made on 26 February 2009 and laid on the table of this council on 3 March 2009, be disallowed.

(Continued from 8 April 2009. Page 1925.)

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (17:23): The government opposes the motion. At a special meeting of the Council of Australian Governments on 5 February 2009, all state and territory governments endorsed the commonwealth's nation building program, which includes a $28.8 billion investment in schools, housing, energy efficiency, community infrastructure and roads. To ensure timely and effective implementation of the program, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to the creation of both commonwealth and state coordinators-general to oversee its implementation.

The program identifies the need to deliver the financial stimulus as quickly as possible and has established time frames within which projects must be approved for funding. Primary school facilities are to be prioritised into three funding rounds: round one projects are to be constructed no later than June 2009; round two projects must start by July/August 2009; and round three projects must start construction no later than 1 December 2009. All primary school facilities are to be completed by June 2011, and construction of science and language centres is to be completed by June 2010.

Funds for stage one social housing projects are to be allocated by 1 April 2009, and the projects are to be constructed within the 2008-2010 time frame; funds for stage two will be allocated by 30 August 2009, and projects are to be constructed during 2009-2012. Amendments to the Development Regulations 2008, made under the Development Act 1993, are considered necessary to ensure the timely and effective delivery of projects funded under the program within the time frames established by the commonwealth. Failure to meet these time frames will result in loss of commonwealth funding.

The government opposes the motion to disallow. The Hon. Mr Parnell has made points about not wishing to circumvent the processes of the Development Act. These regulations were made to ensure that massive commonwealth funding to build infrastructure in our state is not jeopardised. The government maintains that that is the correct position, so it opposes this disallowance motion.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins.

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