Inquiry into a new regional development funding program

On May 23, 2008 at 4:33 pm by Emily Turner - Permanent Link
Categories: news
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The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government is to conduct an inquiry into a new regional development funding program.

The inquiry is to report on the Australian National Audit Office’s Performance Audit of the Regional Partnerships Program and make recommendations on ways to invest funding in genuine regional economic development and community infrastructure with the aim of enhancing the sustainability and liveability of Australia’s regions.

The Committee’s report is to:

  • Provide advice on future funding of regional programs in order to invest in genuine and accountable community infrastructure projects;
  • Examine ways to minimize administrative costs and duplication for taxpayers;
  • Examine the former government’s practices and grants outlined in the Australian National Audit Office report on Regional Partnerships with the aim of providing advice on future funding of regional programs; and
  • Examine the former government’s practices and grants in the Regional Partnerships Program after the audit period of 2003-2006 with the aim of providing advice on future funding of regional programs.

Submissions will be received until 30 June 2008. To find out more, go to: www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/itrdlg/regionaldevelopment/index.htm

1 Comment »

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  1. The Standing Committee has concluded its inquiry into regional funding programs. Naturally the report has been tailored to meet the preferred position of the new government, despite the fact that Labor committee members (including the Chair) were often absent from public hearings.

    The report recommends a highly centralised bureaucratic process for dealing with funding applications under the new RLCI Program, based on the Dept’s spurious argument that 80% of Regional Partnerships applications had been incomplete. Those who have prepared Regional Partnerships applications will tell you it was like kicking large soccer balls through small, rapidly moving goalposts. The real problems were political interference in a highly centralised, bureactratic assessment process,and poorly designed procedures; nothing more, nothing less.

    The bureaucrats response to failure is to seek greater control, when the real answer lies in allowing greater input from the community. Nothing will be achieved for regional communities by giving so much control over the new program to the same senior bureaucrats who helped turn the Regional Partnerships program into an unmitigated disaster!

    Comment by John — November 7, 2008 #

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