WHAT WE CAN HOPE FOR IN TONIGHT’S BUDGET:
A RECENT spike in commercial development does not mean the Federal Government can rest on its laurels and rely on the private sector to drive infrastructure growth in the Far North.
Cairns Chamber of Commerce president Nick Loukas said recent successes in hotel development in the city centre were more reason for the government to shell out in today’s Federal Budget.
“We just want our fair share of funding,” he said.
“If you’ve got building expansion, you need improvements to infrastructure so you can service the growth and also to promote further growth.
“The government knows when it invests where there’s already development happening, it will get back a multiplier effect.”
Treasurer Scott Morrison will deliver his Budget speech at 7.30pm today at the same time journalists on communication lockdown in Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney will start revealing what they have discovered in the forward estimates.
Northern Australia Minister Senator Matt Canavan told the Cairns Post there would be good news in the Budget for regional areas.
“I am confident that we will continue to fund the development of Northern Australia and build on the almost $1 billion that has been invested in roads and the more than $200 million invested in water infrastructure,” he said.
“At the recent Northern Australia Ministerial Forum, the federal, state and territory governments committed to work together to fund future shared priorities, including working towards a 10-year rolling roads program.”
Mr Loukas said he wanted more details on what road projects would receive commitments or, at the very least, a pool of money from which funding for Far North infrastructure would be directed.
“We would like more on the 10-year road funding policy, especially for the Cairns ring road and extension of Highway 1,” he said.