Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien has welcomed the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery Plan.
Under the plan, taxpayers in Wide Bay will receive a tax cut backdated to 1 July this year.
People in receipt of the age pension, disability support pension, carer payment, family tax benefit, family tax benefit lump sum, double orphan pension, carer allowance, Commonwealth seniors health card, pensioner concession card and veteran card will also receive a $250 payment in December this year and another in March 2021.
“This means more money in the pockets of local households to assist with the cost of living, but also to help generate economic activity and create jobs,” Mr O’Brien said.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the Government has provided $257 billion in direct economic support to cushion the blow and strengthen the recovery.
The 2020-21 Budget commits a further $98 billion including: $25 billion in direct COVID-19 response measures and $74 billion in new measures to create jobs.
“We’re supporting Australians to get back to work and businesses to rebuild, grow, and create jobs,” Mr O’Brien said.
This Budget is also investing a record amount in skills and training to make sure Wide Bay job seekers have the skills they need to get a job.
“We are also further assisting first home buyers and the construction sector by extending the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme to another 10,000 places and providing an additional $1 billion of low-cost finance to support the construction of affordable housing,” Mr O’Brien said.
Tax relief for Wide Bay businesses includes allowing 99 per cent of businesses to deduct the full cost of depreciable assets in the year they are installed.
The Budget includes funding of $2,307,810 through the Financial Assistance Grants program to the Noosa Shire Council in the 2020-21 financial year to be spent on the council’s priorities.
Noosa Shire Council will also receive $790,346 funding from the Roads to Recovery program to improve local road networks.
The Budget confirms the Government’s $800 million commitment to the four-lane Bruce Highway Cooroy to Curra Section D project, with $134,000,000 allocated from the Australian Government for the 2020-21 financial year.
“The long-awaited and long overdue Bruce Highway and Wide Bay Highway intersection upgrade at Bells Bridge, which was announced in 2017 but has stalled under the Queensland Labor Government, has an allocation of $11,200,000 from the Morrison Government with $4,700,000 to be spent in 2020-21,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Also, the overdue overtaking lanes at Tinana which were announced in 2018 and stalled under the Queensland Labor Government will finally start with a $14,046,955 allocation in the Budget.
“There is an allocation of $1,980,000 from the Australian Government towards the Tiaro bypass but I am continuing my work with Denis Chapman and the LNP for a much needed four-lane bypass to improve safety and relieve congestion along this section of the Bruce Highway.
“The Coondoo Creek bridge on the Tin Can Bay Road will be completed with a payment of $2,600,000 in the 2020-21 Budget. The Morrison Government is contributing $5,000,000 towards the State project which the Queensland Labor Government should have funded and completed long ago.”
The Budget includes funding for Black Spot program projects including $108,000 to upgrade the intersection of Albert Street and John Street in Maryborough, $107,500 for the intersection of Fort Street and Albert Street in Maryborough, and $755,500 for the intersection of Cedar Pocket Road and Gap Pocket Road at Cedar Pocket.
In this Budget Noosa Council will receive a payment of $1,735,004 towards the $6,361,680 replacement of the Orealla Bridge, $250,000 for the $954,576 Tablelands Road bridge B project at Cooran and $463,661 for the $1,527,322 upgrade of the Wahpunga Lane bridge at Kin Kin.
The 2020-21 Budget includes funding to complete the following projects:
• The Maryborough Showgrounds & Equestrian Park 5 Year Strategic Plan, $15,000
• Cooloola Coast Voluntourism and Research Tourism Strategy, $10,307
• The installation of new lighting on the main arena at Gympie Showgrounds (stage 1) $92,414
• The Upper Mary Street precinct revitalisation project $801,215
• Final Stage 3 – Rufous Street Masterplan Development, Peregian Beach Digital Hub, $2,073,100
• Tourism Noosa Industry Leadership Program, $12,728
• Maryborough Independent Riders fit-out, $5,000
• Maryborough’s Portside Cultural Precinct $98,750
• Noosa Tigers oval drainage project $192,000
• Tewantin Noosa Cricket Club lighting upgrade $35,000
The 2020-21 Budget confirms funding from the Federal Government for the following projects:
• Maryborough Softball, sports lighting installation, $140,000
• Murgon RSL Sub-Branch, drop-in centre, $450,000
• Gympie Avenues Lifestyle, Sherwood Hall refurbishment, $40,000
• Hope Reins, Building a New Heart for What We Do, education and activity centre, $140,000
• Sunshine Butterflies, construction of the training room and pick up/ drop off shelter, $42,539
• Cooroy Badminton Hall amenities upgrade, $20,000
• Murgon Creative Country Association, purpose-built cultural centre, $1,596,514
• NOOSA Alive! creating a destination festival, $60,000
