Newsroom

June 14, 2023

The recent state budget announcement was filled with cash splashes across the state, but according to Katter’s Australian Party leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter, there are still key areas crying out for help.

“The government has labelled this years budget a cost-of-living one, which is a bit hard to take when the cost of living is largely of their doing”, said Mr Katter.

“The Government has offered up a form of reimbursement on our energy bills, essentially handing taxpayers back their money.

“Overall the budget has an enormous deficit of wealth creating infrastructure apart from the obvious exception being CopperString.

Mr Katter advised that despite his highlighted areas still lacking attention, we must be thankful for allocations in some of the significant categories, detailed as follows.

 

Health

There are several hospitals within the Traeger electorate set to receive funds to deliver projects and resources, including:

 

• Normanton Hospital – to receive $22.1 of $36.4 million total towards the BRRHP program.
• Charters Towers Hospital – to receive $7 million out of a $9.7 million total towards the establishment of renal dialysis treatment services, the installation of CT scanner, as well as upgrades to the Central Sterilising Services and the Electrical supply
• Mount Isa Hospital – to receive just under $1 million out of $3.6 million towards the upgrading of lifts and refurbishment of the hospital laboratory.
• Mornington Island Hospital - $750,000 out of a $5 million total for the establishment of a 6-chair renal dialysis service.
• Camooweal Primary Health Centre - $9.6 million of an $18 million spend as part of the BRRHP program.
• Patient Travel Subsidy -

 

Schools

Various schools within the Traeger electorate have been allocated funds to deliver various projects and upgrades, including:

 

• Curry Kids Early Learning Centre – to receive $1.1 million of a $4.4 million total to deliver a new childcare facility.
• Townview State School - $1 million to install a school security fence.
• Cloncurry State School - $764,000 to refurbish classrooms
•  Spinifex State College, Senior Campus - $1.2 million for the installation of a security fence, and relocation of Home Economics, and an additional $345,000 to upgrade existing amenities.
• Spinifex State College, Junior Campus - $315,000 for refurbishment of Block R amenities.
• Charters Towers State High School - $500,000 in total to resurface tennis courts and an additional $800,000 for refurbishments and enhancements of existing blocks.
• Charters Towers Central State School - $500,000 for refurbishments of Block D.

 

Richmond State School, Burketown State school, Normanton State School, Happy Valley State School, Hughenden State School, Mornington Island State School, Barkly Highway State School and Richmond Hill State School all also received allocations for various projects.

 

Roads

Highways and rural roads have both been recipients of fund this year, which is promising and in many areas long awaited.

 

• Flinders Highway (Scrubby Creek) - $16.1 million out of a $42.7 million total towards strengthening the pavement and widening the floodway.
• Kennedy Development Road - $11.4 million out of a $50 million total towards progressively sealing priority sections.
• Richmond to Winton Road - $7.8 million out of $13 million to strengthen and widen pavement.

 

CopperString

CopperString has been allocated $594 million out of a total $5 billion spend to construct the CopperString 32 transmission line from Townsville to Mount Isa.

 

Mr Katter said the main win for the Traeger electorate in this year’s budget was the significant commitment to the CopperString project, however the current expected start date for this was not until mid-2024.

He said it had been a hard, decade-long slog to get the Government to finally take the project seriously, though he celebrated its progress.

Mr Katter was also pleased to see an increase in the patient travel subsidy scheme, advising that this was something the KAP had been calling for however the increase was only minor, with Mr Katter labelling it as relatively inadequate.

“There’s also funds in the Budget to offer free kindergarten across the State”, said Mr Katter.

“I am concerned however how this will fare with an industry already struggling to secure workers.

“There are many early childhood educators within the Traeger electorate who are constantly fighting a losing battle trying to secure enough educators to keep their doors open with their current numbers, let alone with a further influx of children.”

“We are also still yet to see any allocation of funds or support towards the KAP’s Relocation Sentencing Policy”, said Mr Katter.

“This being left out of this year’s budget is a real kick in the guts to everyone across the state continuing to face the effects of the states youth crime crisis.

Mr Katter also expressed his frustrations with the governments push to phase out coal and the lack of royalty revenue being injected back into the regions.

“The only reason our budget remains in the green and we continue seeing a surplus is because of coal,” he said.

“This year Queensland will see $15.3 billion in revenue collected from coal royalties alone.

“Despite that however the government continues to push for their net zero goal and we continue to see minimal of that back where the coal is produced.”