Australian Government Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, and Federal Member for Blair, Cameron Thompson, today launched the development of a new training and community centre in Fernvale, built with assistance from the Australian Government's Regional Partnerships program. Mr Truss said Australian Government funds of more than $580,000 were provided to help build the centre and to cover construction costs, labour, plant and equipment hire, materials and project management. The Regional Partnership program funds were granted to Esk Shire Council on behalf of the Wivenhoe Alliance for the Fernvale Future Partnerships project. "The Wivenhoe Alliance, a group of five project management organisations, recently upgraded the nearby Wivenhoe Dam, and has completed a series of community-based projects including this new integrated training and community centre," he said. Mr Thompson said the centre will now become the hub for community and business, giving communities access to professional services, training opportunities and a one- stop-shop for tourism information. "Fernvale is the first town in the Esk Shire to be reached by travellers from the south, including Brisbane, and this makes it an ideal location for promoting the tourist sites in the area," he said. Mr Truss said access to services will also be improved, with two state government agencies to use the centre, as well as a number of community organisations. Mr Thompson congratulated the local community for working together to access Regional Partnerships program funding. "I would particularly like to thank the Ipswich and Regional Area Consultative Committee for helping bring this project to fruition. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Council of the Shire of Esk and Wivenhoe Alliance," he said. The Regional Partnerships program continues the Australian Government's approach of working with local communities to support their ideas. There is $360.9 million available under the Regional Partnerships program from 2005-06 to 2008-09. Mr Thompson said the Regional Partnerships program would deliver benefits to communities well into the future, not only from program funding, but from the higher levels of economic activity and improved social amenity which the program is generating. Communities should contact their local Area Consultative Committee* if they wish to seek funding through the Regional Partnerships program. Media Contacts Brad Burke ( Mr Truss's office ) 02 6277 7680 / 0417 749 711 Rebekah Henricksen ( Mr Thompson's Office ) 07 3813 0088 / 0412 078 044 *For further information go to www.regionalpartnerships.gov.au or www.acc.gov.au
Simon Crean, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, has accused the Howard Government of abandoning regional development and showing no commitment to rural Australia. In a media release timed to coincide with the ten-year anniversary of the Howard Government, Mr. Crean said that the privatisation of Telstra and a failure to reform the Regional Partnerships program demonstrated the governments lack of commitment to the bush. 

"The Minister for Transport and Regional Services has failed to clean up the Regional Partnerships program, four months after a Senate Inquiry recommended major changes," he said. "AU$1.1 million dollars spent on the Gunnedah Grains to Ethanol project has been wasted - it still hasn't produced a single litre of ethanol. Likewise Beaudesert Rail, the recipient of $5.7 million in Government grants, has not travelled a single kilometre."

Regional Partnerships program provides government assistance for projects in regional areas. According to a government media release, there is $360.9 million available under this program for the period 2005-06 to 2008-09.

Mr Crean also criticised the National party for "selling out rural and regional Australia - on Telstra, on trade and on essential services."

"Last week's revelation that Telstra plans to get rid of 5000 payphones after privatisation show the serial contempt of the Bush by the Coalition."

The Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, has distanced himself from the Telstra announcement, saying that Telstra has an obligation to maintain services. "Certainly, there is a still a demand for payphones around Australia. Telstra are expected to provide those kinds of services," he said. 

"I think the time will come when we will move on to new technology and some of those systems that were more important in the past will be less important in the future but there are still many Australians who still depend on payphones and community telephone systems. Telstra has an obligation to provide those."

Warren Truss' office was contacted to provide a response to Mr. Crean's criticisms, but had not responded by the time this article was published.