Member for Pumicestone, Simone Wilson says that the Palaszczuk Labor Government has put Pumicestone into a time capsule in this year’s State Budget.
“Today we discover what the Palaszczuk Labor Government really thinks of the Pumicestone Electorate and the tax payers who live there”, Ms Wilson said.
“This year’s budget is nothing more than slim pickings for Pumicestone with the only new local announcements being $2.5 million for additional classrooms at the Pumicestone State School and $615,000 for a car park at the Banksia Beach State School”.
Ms Wilson said that whilst this funding is gratefully received, it falls well short of what is needed across the electorate.
“That amounts to a miserly total of $3.1 million of new funding for Pumicestone”, Ms Wilson said.
“The $20 million that the Federal Government gave us to upgrade Bribie Island Road’s most dangerous and congested pinch points has been quarantined by the State Government until 2020/21
“This funding was made available by the Federal Government last year and now Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Treasurer Jackie Trad have put it in a time capsule with nothing about to happen on fixing Bribie Island Road any time soon
“This is absolute trickery and they ought to be ashamed at how they’ve handled this Federal funding gift from the very beginning”, Ms Wilson said.
“Beachmere Road didn’t even get a guernsey for vital upgrades which it so desperately needs and there’s absolutely no funding to commence planning of a new Bribie Island Bridge”.
“In less than two terms of the Palaszczuk Labor Government, the aspirations of Pumicestone residents for safer and less congested roads has been eroded”, Ms Wilson said.
On top of the dismal budget allocations for Pumicestone, Queensland will be worse off than ever before with higher taxes, more debt, less jobs and less infrastructure.
“Today Jackie Trad issued Labor’s blueprint to put Queensland into more debt than ever before and delivered us a $90 billion Labor debt bomb
“Labor aren’t borrowing to build - they are borrowing to cover their wasteful spending and the legitimate needs of the Pumicestone Electorate are once again forgotten”.
FAST FACTS:
$20 million Federal funding to fix Bribie Island Road pinch points quarantined by the State Government to 2020/21 (QTRIP)
Recycled announcement on Old Toorbul Point Road intersection Traffic Light project – Total Estimate Cost $10.4 million with $5.6 million released 2019/20 financial year and remainder blown out to forward estimates.
Upgrade to Beachmere Road - $0 in funding
Funding to commence planning of new Bribie Island Bridge - $0 in funding
Recycled announcement for Bribie Island State High School - $2.4 million to complete additional classrooms already under construction
Banksia Beach State School - $615,000 for a new car park
Pumicestone State School - $2.5 million for additional classrooms