Australian Government invests $300M into regional infrastructure
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Regional Australia will be receiving a huge boost with a $300 million funding under the Building Better Regions Fund, upgrading regional infrastructure that will create thousands of new jobs and drive economic recovery.
Aside from the initial $200 million under Round 5 of the Building Better Regions Fund, the Australian Government has also committed an extra $100 million to help fund nearly 300 projects across the country.
This will create around 9,900 jobs and deliver a further $330 million of stimulus through co-investment.
Round 5 of the Building Better Regions Fund will focus on supporting regional tourism as part of the country’s economic recovery plan. $125 million under the round is already committed to 81 shovel-ready tourism-specific infrastructure upgrades.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said the Australian Government is working to ensure that the regional and remote communities recover strongly from the pandemic.
“That’s why we’ve committed an extra $100 million to take our total investment to $300 million under Round 5 of the Building Better Regions Fund. This additional funding will support more projects, more jobs and create more economic opportunities in our regions to drive their recovery,” he said.
“Investing in tourism will protect existing jobs and create new ones, while positioning regional towns and economies to capitalise on Australia’s post-COVID recovery as borders reopen and people start travelling again.”
Projects funded under Round 5 include the following:
- New art galleries and museums
- Sporting precincts, aquatic centres and health facilities
- Community hall and facilities upgrades
- Upgrades to regional water supplies
- Extensions to botanical gardens, wildlife sanctuaries and art trails
The Australian Government has currently invested over $1.38 billion across five rounds of the Building Better Regions Fund. This has allowed them to fund nearly 1,300 projects that have supported regional jobs and economies since the Fund’s release.
Source: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Media Release
Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.
