LEFT OUT AGAIN: NEWCASTLE LABOR COUNCILLORS SLAM LIBERALS WESTERN-SYDNEY POOL PORK-BARRELLING
Newcastle Labor Councillors have condemned an announcement of hundreds of millions of dollars for upgraded swimming pools and community infrastructure that only benefit western Sydney as an example of outrageous and unfair pork-barrelling in the lead up to the March election.
An announcement by the NSW Liberals on Thursday morning outlined more than $155 million exclusively for Western Sydney pool upgrades, while a year-round Aquatic Centre slated for Broadmeadow as a part of the State Government’s Hunter Park precinct project remains an un-funded concept on the desk of the Liberal Sports Minister.
The NSW Liberals have so far dedicated $0 for pool upgrades for Greater Newcastle.
The Newcastle Labor City of Newcastle team pointed to the stark contrast of local investment between the Liberal’s privatisation of the Port of Newcastle, and the Westinvest program as a clear example of Liberal political pork-barrelling.
The privatisation of WestConnex led to the creation of the $5 billion WestInvest fund, while Newcastle received the first stage of Newcastle Light Rail and just $1 million annually for community projects through the Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund.
The continual excision of the Newcastle Local Government Area (LGA) from crucial NSW Government grant funding, including the $4.2 billion Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund further highlights the NSW Liberals blatant pork-barrelling.
Independent economic analysis by the Hunter Research Foundation has shown that City of Newcastle is deliberately shut out of more than $170 million annually in NSW Government grants due to its inconsistent classification by the Liberal Government.
City of Newcastle Ward 3 Councillor and Infrastructure Advisory Committee Chair, Cr Peta Winney-Baartz, said today’s announcement highlighted the unfairness of the Liberals allocation of government grant funding.
“While North Sydney gets regional funding for a brand new pool, while we miss out on grants for projects like Stage 2 at Number 1 Sportsground because we’re classed as metropolitan, and while the Hunter Park business case, including a year round aquatic facility, has sat on the Sports Minister’s desk for 18 months without funding, Western Sydney receives hundreds of millions of dollars for new pools.”
“If we were to simply receive our fair share of funding from the NSW Government, we would be in a position to upgrade existing pools and receive a year-round aquatic facility at Broadmeadow.”
Ward 2 Councillor Carol Duncan said favouring western Sydney over Newcastle was yet another example of immoral and unethical pork-barrelling by the NSW Government.
“Our local communities continue to miss out on their fair share of government investment, while the NSW Liberals use our City as a cash cow to fund their commitments for electoral gain.”
“You don’t have to look too far for other examples of our city’s unfair treatment when it comes to the NSW Liberal Government’s pork-barrelling tactics.”
“While the NSW Government has received mega-profits in an additional $810 million from coal royalties through our Port, Stockton residents continue to watch their suburb fall into the sea, while the royalties are sent directly to NSW Treasury for the benefit of communities unaffected by coastal erosion caused by NSW Government infrastructure.”
