buzzanddidj wrote on May 4
th, 2011 at 3:38pm:
Verge wrote on May 4
th, 2011 at 3:14pm:
Commonwealth deferral of $550 million in promised infrastructure payments to Victoria.
buzzanddidj wrote on May 2
nd, 2011 at 4:54pm:
VICTORIA'S flood-affected communities are being denied $500 million in federal flood levy funding, with the state government accusing Canberra of trying to welsh on its promise to pay the money.
Months after the flood levy was announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, The Age can reveal that none of the money has been delivered to the state's 94 flood-affected communities.
''It appears that the Commonwealth are trying to delay and avoid ever delivering the promised funds,'' a spokesman for Premier Ted Baillieu said last night.
While Queensland has received $2 billion, the money earmarked for Victoria has become bogged by a dispute between the state and federal governments.
But Victoria is refusing to sign up to the National Partnership Agreement as demanded by Canberra.
But other sources have suggested the state government has been deliberately stalling on receiving the cash until 2011-12 to make its first budget as sound as possible - a claim vigorously denied by Treasurer Kim Wells's office
Read more:
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/anger-as-flood-cash-withheld-20110427-1dwyy.ht... ..... Queensland abided by the terms
STOP PLAYING POLITICS
Premier Ted Baillieu has dismissed as ''just nonsense'' any suggestions his government is delaying signing up to $500 million in federal flood levy cash to pad out the bottom line in his first budget.
Three months after the $1.8 billion levy was announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, The Age this week revealed Victoria still has not received cash because it is refusing conditions that would allow the Commonwealth to oversee reconstruction and recovery efforts. Mr Baillieu said suggestions his government was stalling to boost the bottom line in 2011-12 - its first budget - were wrong.
''A proposition was put to us that somehow or other we were playing some fiscal game with the money, which is just nonsense, and we have been trying to deal with this issue in an effective way to ensure communities get their money,'' Mr Baillieu said.
Advertisement: Story continues below The Premier also revealed Victoria had been advancing money to flood-affected communities out of its own pocket in lieu of the federal cash. He accused the Commonwealth of ''needlessly imposing bureaucracy''
when no such conditions had been imposed following the Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009.''We had a situation after the fires in Victoria where there was Commonwealth money involved and there was no need to address the conditions in the way that money was spent. I think the money was spent wisely.''
Federal Regional Minister Simon Crean said the money was waiting to be paid as soon as Victoria accepted a framework to make sure the money was not wasted. ''We are not denying Victoria the money,'' Mr Crean told ABC radio. ''We are paying up to three-quarters of the money involved. We are entitled to know how that money is being spent.''
Family First Senator Steve Fielding, who negotiated the original deal in February, giving Victoria a $500 million share of the $1.8 billion levy, said it was ''disappointing'' the money wasn't flowing because of a disagreement between the state and federal governments.
''Unfortunately when you've got different parties in power at the state and federal levels you get a situation like this,'' Senator Fielding said.
''Political differences should be put aside when we're talking about trying to help the people of Victoria recover from such a devastating event.''
Northern Victorian farmer Lindsay Schultz, whose Benjeroop farm was covered with floodwater for months, urged the two levels of government to resolve the dispute and get the flood money flowing. ''It's a bloody disgrace,'' he said of the spat. ''This is an emergency.''
Mr Schultz said infrastructure in the Gannawarra Shire had been smashed by the floods, with severe damage to roads and bridges.
The Commonwealth flood funding was ''desperately'' needed in the district to repair damaged infrastructure, Mr Schultz said.
The ruckus comes as Treasurer Kim Wells puts the finishing touches on next week's budget, which has been undermined by a $4.1 billion drop in revenue from the GST. The Age has learnt that the ''theme'' of the budget is ''responsible delivery''.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/withholding-flood-funds-nonsense-20110428-1dywk.html#ixzz1LMgBxE6v
So why did a Victorian Labor Government have no such conditions but a Victorian Liberal Government does?
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