RAC questions funding priorities

22 July 2009

The RAC has questioned why the National Party is using Royalties for Regions funding to invest in fibreglass cows while refusing to spend any of the fund on country road safety.

RAC Head of Member Advocacy Matt Brown has revealed that the Royalties for Regions fund is being used to top-up events which have already been funded by Western Australian taxpayers through the Tourism portfolio.

National Party leader Brendon Grylls has announced $50,000 funding from the Royalties for Regions fund for the Margaret River CowParade which will see 96 fibreglass cows painted in a free art exhibition.

But the CowParade had already been given $20,000 by the Tourism Minister in May under the Regional Events Scheme.

“These are proving to be very expensive cows for Western Australian taxpayers,” Mr Brown said.

“While the National Party is throwing money at fake cows for country WA, they have refused to spend a single dollar of the Royalties for Regions on making country roads safer.

“So not a single dollar for saving lives but $70,000 for plastic cows. This is madness.”

Last month National Party Leader Brendon Grylls rejected the RAC’s call for Royalties for Regions funding to be invested in a targeted program to cut road deaths on country roads.

Mr Grylls wrote that “Royalties for Regions has been established to supplement – not supplant – the existing provision of basic, essential infrastructure and services across Western Australia”.

“So we now have a situation where the National Party thinks that fibreglass cows are basic, essential infrastructure but country roads aren’t,” Mr Brown said.

“Already 67 people have been killed on country roads this year. When will the National Party wake up to its responsibility to do something about this senseless loss of life?

“Country Western Australians should be telling their local National Party MPs to get their priorities right.”

Mr Brown said the Royalties for Regions was also providing $15,000 to the Anaconda Adventure Race in Augusta, despite the race receiving $25,000 from the Tourism Minister under the Regional Events Scheme in May.

“This is extraordinary double-dipping and the taxpayer is being left holding the bill,” Mr Brown said.

“It’s becoming increasingly apparent that the Royalties for Regions fund is being frittered away on events with a short term impact which have already received taxpayer funding.

“The funding should be going to projects such as making our roads safer which will deliver an immediate and lasting benefit to the State.”

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