Community and sporting groups across Gippsland have been short-changed by the Albanese Government’s failure to provide ongoing funding for the Stronger Communities Program (SCP), according to Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester.
“In the grand scheme of things, taking away grants worth between $2500 and $20,000 might not sound like a big deal, but it’s hurting regional communities the most,” Mr Chester said.
“Caught in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, mums and dads are being forced to fundraise more (or dip into their own pockets) to help fund projects that used to attract a small but vital amount of Federal Government funding.
“The former Coalition Government funded more than 15,000 small-scale projects under the SCP, which allocated $150,000 to every electorate each year. Nothing could be fairer or more transparent than each electorate receiving the same amount of money, and local groups would often match the funding or provide in-kind support to deliver projects and services in their community.”
Mr Chester said that while Labor MPs, including senior members of the Cabinet, were quick to take credit for the program in Opposition, they have failed to provide ongoing funding for future rounds since coming to power.
“Everyone from the Prime Minister and Treasurer to the Infrastructure Minister and Attorney General has posted photographs on social media taking credit for the program during the terms of the Coalition Government,” Mr Chester said.
“Many Labor MPs even produced mock cheques to pose in photographs with grateful community leaders. Others issued press releases where they waxed lyrical about each successful project as if they actually had something to do with it!
“Labor loved the SCP so much that they abolished the entire program, and Gippsland families are picking up the bill.
“Sadly, the failure to provide a funding commitment for the Stronger Communities Program gives us a glimpse of what lies at the heart and the soul of this government.”
Mr Chester said Labor has a Canberra-centric view of decision-making and doesn’t believe in localism.
“Ministers simply don’t trust community leaders to make good decisions and develop local solutions to local problems,” Mr Chester said.
“They don’t understand that local community and sporting groups can leverage small amounts of taxpayers’ money to efficiently deliver more than would ever be achieved by working through other levels of government.”
