Investment boosting jobs in the Wheatbelt

The McGowan Labor Government has announced in the 2018 State Budget that $295.8 million will be invested in job-creating infrastructure in the Wheatbelt.

Creating jobs and strengthening the State’s economy remains the number one priority of the McGowan Government. The Budget includes:

• More than $45 million across four years for building Western Australian grains research and development capacity;
• $22.5 million for the Regional Economic Development Grants Scheme to drive economic development in regional Western Australia; and
• $1.5 million over three years for a capability building program for Aboriginal businesses, to support the Aboriginal procurement policy.

The Budget includes funding for important facility upgrades, including:

• $17.2 million towards road safety treatments to the Great Eastern Highway;
• $2.4 million is being made available to continue improvements on Toodyay road;
• $20 million on upgrades to Indian Ocean Drive;
• $70 million for improvements to regional roads across the State identified as high risk for run off crashes;
• $1.2 million to install five Rural Intersection Active Warning systems on regional roads.

The budget also includes important funding for community programs. For the first time, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services will have a division dedicated to rural firefighting and bushfire management. $80 million will be invested to enhance rural bushfire capacity across the State through this new Rural Fire Division.

Premier Mark McGowan said, “My Government is putting the State to work, creating jobs for people in the Wheatbelt and turning the State’s finances around.”

Key McGowan Labor Government projects already underway in the Wheatbelt include:

• $10 million of funding allocated to AgLime transport networks to support the safe and efficient travel of freight vehicles;
• $3.7 million to support educational programs at Muresk Institute of Agriculture;
• $5.5 million investment into the Narrogin and Northam Cancer Centres to strengthen cancer services in regional WA;
• $12 million towards replacing two bridges in Williams along Albany Highway;
• $4.8 million to upgrade the Cunderdin Pump Station; and
• $17.7 million for the redevelopment and upgrade of Merredin District Hospital and the Narrogin District Health Campus 

View the full media release here.

For more 2018-19 State Budget information, visit www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au