Two playground upgrades planned for Maribyrnong may be scrapped after the federal government pulled more than $250,000 from the projects.
Maribyrnong council was promised $257,387 funding toward the cost of upgrading the playgrounds under the former Labor government’s Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF).
Gellibrand MP Tim Watts said the funding was to improve playgrounds at the Maribyrnong River Children’s Centre in Maribyrnong and the Saltwater Childcare Centre in Footscray.
“Now Tony Abbott and Nationals leader Warren Truss have decided to cancel all projects unless contracts allowing them to proceed are already in place,” he said.
“Tony Abbott is clearly against kids in Maribyrnong having their playgrounds improved.”
Mr Watts said the fund was designed to create jobs by funding important community infrastructure projects. “I call on Mr Abbott to put the kids of Maribyrnong first and restore funding to this vital project.”
A spokesman for Mr Truss said the government was examining all projects announced by the former government through its RDAF.
“We are considering arrangements for those RDAF projects without a contract in place before the election in the context of both available funds and the most effective way to deliver our [five-year]
$1 billion National Stronger Regions Fund,” he said. “Most of the funding for Labor’s RDAF was to come from the mining tax, but, as we know, the mining tax has raised next to no money and we are committed to abolishing this tax.”
He said the NSRF would prioritise areas with high unemployment and below-average socio-economic circumstances.
Council community well-being director Arden Joseph said funding was allocated by the federal government to the two childcare centres before the last election.
“We are currently in discussions with the relevant federal government agency about accessing the funding.”
