Big wins for Dawson in Budget 2021
The biggest win for the people of Mackay, the Whitsundays, Bowen, the Burdekin and Townsville in Budget 2021 is undoubtedly the announcement of a $10 billion government-backed reinsurance pool which will increase competition and drive down prices from 1 July 2022.
We reached the point of market failure on insurance in the north some time ago, particularly for business owners and those in strata units, so I see this as the single biggest win for our region in this year’s Budget.
Another funding injection on insurance is $40m for the North Queensland Strata Title Resilience Pilot Program to subsidise the cost of cyclone risk mitigation works.
Work will now continue on the formulation of and I will certainly be keeping a keen eye on the detail going forward.
But action on insurance is just the beginning of the good news story in the Budget because there are benefits for every sector of the community.
Motorists will benefit from a share of $400m for the Bruce Highway between Mackay and Proserpine, and when it comes to local roads and community infrastructure, all of the councils in my electorate will receive another funding boost under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
Dawson Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program allocations:
Burdekin Shire Council: $1,240,522
Mackay Regional Council: $3,913,180
Townsville City Council: $4,461,676
Whitsunday Regional Council: $2,101,074
Another big win for businesses is the continuation of the Instant Asset Write-Off which provided a huge boost to small business owners and farmers over the past 12 months.
There are also several initiatives geared to deliver funding specifically to the regions.
We have $250m for Round 6 Building Better Regions Fund, there’s $189.6m for the north under the Our North, Our Future package and funding for disaster resilience and mitigation.
The other big-ticket item I continue to push for is further funding to get the Urannah Dam Project to shovel-ready stage.
There is money in the Budget under the National Water Infrastructure Investment Program, and I’m pushing to secure an allocation for Urannah, because that spells massive jobs and agricultural opportunities for our region, as well as a secure water supply for resource projects and towns.
DAWSON SNAPSHOT
Around 63,700 taxpayers in Dawson will benefit from tax relief of up to $2,745 this year. This is a result of the Morrison Government decision to extend the low- and middle-income tax offset to 2021-22 and the decision to bring forward Stage 2 of the Government’s tax relief plan. The Government’s Tax Plan has already benefited 73,100 people in Dawson.
An extended and expanded JobTrainer Fund will support 500,000 new places to upskill job seekers and young people. We already have 2,325 apprentices in Dawson and these new measures will lead to more opportunities for apprentices and trainees with expanded wage subsidies.
The Morrison Government is continuing tax incentives that will allow around 7,000 businesses in Dawson to write off the full value of any eligible asset they purchase. Additionally, around 1,700 businesses in Dawson will be able to use the extended loss carry back measure to support cash flow and confidence. This has helped businesses invest more in the local economy and to create local jobs.
The Morrison Government’s JobKeeper payment supported 4,300 businesses and 17,900 employees in Dawson to help them through the pandemic and keep them connected to their place of work, setting the groundwork for the recovery
The tax-free Cashflow boost has helped around 5,200 small and medium businesses providing $239 million in payments to help businesses in Dawson to stay afloat.
This Budget invests in major road and rail projects, road safety and community infrastructure programs, supporting additional jobs. $2 billion is being committed in Queensland for projects that will ease congestion, connect communities, and improve road safety. They will support the economic recovery in the short term and boost productivity in the longer term.
The Morrison Government’s HomeBuilder program has received 26,293 applications in Queensland and continues to support jobs in the construction sector and assists owner occupiers with grants of $25,000 to build a new home or substantially renovate an existing home.
GUARANTEEING ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Around 11,450 individuals in Dawson have received the Coronavirus Supplement, which was added to JobSeeker to provide additional support through this crisis. We have also made permanent changes to the JobSeeker rate to help those in need.
Around 15,101 Age Pensioners and 3,583 carers in Dawson received three support payments since the start of the pandemic totalling $1,250.
The Morrison Government is providing additional investments in respiratory clinics, pathology testing and tracing, and the continuation of telehealth services. In Dawson there have been 195,835 telehealth consultations through Medicare since the start of the pandemic and these services are now being extended
The Morrison Government has a commitment to fund every medicine on the PBS recommended by the medical experts, putting lifesaving treatments within the reach of every Australian. In this Budget we are listing more medicines to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, osteoporosis, migraine, eczema and asthma. In the last year there have been 2,006,950 free or subsidised medicines delivered in Dawson through the PBS
Under the Morrison Government funding for public schools in Dawson continues to increase as a part of the Quality Schools Package. Funding increases for local schools in Dawson is available from: www.education.gov.au/school-funding-estimator
We are increasing funding for preschools in Dawson and making childcare more affordable and accessible. Childcare reforms in this Budget will directly benefit over 1,330 families living in Dawson.
This Budget delivers a record investment in Aged care to help the 22,061 senior Australians living in Dawson. This investment will deliver more home care places, more funding for residential aged care and increases the amount of time resident are cared for while strengthening regulators to monitor and enforce the standards of care.
Summary of some Key Budget measures for the region:
$400 million for significant upgrades between Mackay and Proserpine and Rockhampton and Gladstone
$10 billion reinsurance pool to cover cyclone and related flood damage in Northern Australia from 1 July 2022
$40 million North Queensland Strata Title Resilience Pilot Program to subsidise the cost of cyclone risk mitigation works
$189.6 million Our North, Our Future: 2021-2026 package which includes:
Piloting of a Regions of Growth approach (one of these regions is Cairns to Gladstone), worth $9.3 million over five years to help capitalise on regional strengths.
A Northern Australia Development Program, worth $111.9 million over five years, to help businesses scale up and diversify; and
$68.5 million for a Connecting Northern Australia initiative, to improve digital connectivity.
Establishment of a new National Recovery and Resilience Agency which will invest $600m into disaster preparation and mitigation, and will continue working to support communities such as those affected by the 2019 North Queensland Monsoon Trough
$4.5m to support disaster recovery scenario training to help regional communities prepare for high-risk hazards
A further $50 million this year under the National Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Program to assist communities to prepare for future flood events
More flexible incentives for the Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program - workers eligible for up to $2,000 in relocation assistance (or $650 for temporary visa holders) when they complete just 40 hours of agricultural work over a two-week period.
Regional Development measures
Building Better Regions Fund: an additional $250 million for a sixth round of the highly successful Fund, which has already delivered more than $1 billion in funding for infrastructure and community projects into our regional towns and cities.
Rebuilding Regional Communities Program: providing $5.7 million in funding to establish the Program in partnership with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. This consists of grants of up to $10,000 for communities with fewer than 50,000 people to sustain local organisations and up to $50,000 for larger projects which support the process of recovery.
Stronger Communities Programme: an additional $22.7 million for Round Seven of the programme, which provides grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 across the country, direct to community organisations and local governments for small capital projects in every electorate.
Financial Assistance Grants: bringing forward approximately 50 per cent of the 2021–22 funding. This cash injection of more than $1.3 billion will give councils vital support to assist with the combined impacts of drought, bushfires, floods, and the COVID-19 pandemic.