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The Moorabool News – 28 June, 2022 Page 7
“Merits-based” funding Letters to review welcomed the Editor By Lachlan Ellis & Helen Tatchell Comments from the newly crowned Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, that local government pool projects must be stacked up on merit to be funded, has been welcomed by Moorabool Shire Council. Earlier this month, Ms King said a review of Infrastructure Australia was needed to “get it back on track”, with The Age reporting that Labor would “ditch its election promises to communities for new swimming pools or sporting ground upgrades if they do not stack up on a merits-based review”. Ms King has asked her department to take a “very granular look” at what the previous Coalition government has committed funding to. “If any of those do not stack up on a merits review, we will not be proceeding with those…they are the ones that are not under the Land Transport Act, they’re the community sporting facilities and those sorts of things,” Ms King said. Moorabool Shire Council CEO Derek Madden said that was good news for Council’s plans for an indoor pool, with a $15 million Federal Government commitment all that’s required. “Our indoor pool project has very significant Council funding ($15 million committed) and has State Government funding of $10 million. It has been fully scoped and designed, so it definitely stacks up against some of the proposed pool projects throughout the country,” Mr Madden said. “We are ready, we have the population, the Council-owned site located, the planning permit and the detailed designs. With Federal funding to match Council’s contribution, we can get on and build the facility that the community of Moorabool have been waiting generations for.” In 2013, Ms King was then Minister for Regional Australia and Member for Ballarat and posted on her own website, “KING DELIVERS ON BACCHUS MARSH INDOOR
AQUATIC CENTRE”. The story went on to say, “the Rudd Labor Government today (9 Aug 13) announced $7 million towards the Bacchus Marsh Indoor Aquatic Centre, building on its record of support for strong, prosperous regional and local communities. “Federal Labor is serious about investing in regional and local communities and helping them to meet future challenges and opportunities,” the story read. “…the funding is a well-deserved win for the community.” “Today’s (9 Aug 13) announcement will deliver a much needed indoor pool 12 months a year.” The funding for the project was stated as being “from the latest round of the Regional Development Australia Fund and is already included in the budget.” In reality, there was a change of government (Tony Abbott defeated Kevin Rudd), and the money was not forthcoming. One source told the Moorabool News back in 2013, the socalled budgeted funds, “were not signed off”. Mr Madden said he thanked Ms King for beginning the review, which he believes will show Moorabool’s project to be among the most feasible pool projects in the country. “There are pool projects where the local Council is committing minimal funds but expecting massive Government commitments, so we feel the review is timely and will highlight the strength of our proposal. The staging and funding model we used could be used for future projects across Australia,” he said. “Moorabool is very willing to back our own project and commit matching funding from the Federal and State Governments, and we don’t already have a Council-run indoor pool in our Shire so we definitely feel our project would meet the conditions of any audits that Minister King will be undertaking.” For more information on Council’s indoor pool project, visit www.moorabool.vic.gov.au/marc.
Dear Editor, I write replying to Donna Bridgeman (‘Stop the Bullets’) letter (M/News 21 June 2022). I was appalled at the emotional outburst by the letter writer, so I checked the Animal Justice Party (AJP) website. The AJP suggest fertility control. The problem is brumbies may live for 20-years and thus will continue to engage in environmental damage for that period. The AJP suggest rehoming, for that to be viable the brumbies would need to be rehomed in an area that did not pose an environmental impact and would need to be sterilized or their increasing numbers would require more land that may affect native animals and fauna. The shooters use thermal imaging to identify the animals to help ensure a clean kill, however no system is perfect, as for bullets flying how else do bullets move. The shooters are not, to the best of my knowledge using fully automatic firearms and therefore not dispensing 600 to 1000 rounds per minute. I am not a hunter, but the protection of the environment is more important than preserving an introduced animal. I suggest that the AJP and other (in my opinion) extreme groups purchase land at their own expense in a nonenvironmentally sensitive area, that will allow them to indulge in their warped ideologies. Colin Reid Hopetoun Park
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