Mandurah will miss out on hundreds of millions of dollars in funding earmarked for Australia’s regions after the Turnbull government classified the Peel region part of the Perth metropolitan area.
Major projects in the City of Mandurah and large parts of the Shire of Murray, including Pinjarra, Coolup and North Dandalup will not be eligible to apply for the government’s $297.7 million Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF).
Nambeelup, which will be home to the Peel region’s multi-billion dollar Transform Peel project, was also classified as part of Perth.
It is not clear if Transform Peel, which requires Commonwealth funding and was expected to generate 33,000 jobs over the coming decades, is in jeopardy as a consequence of the decision.
In an extraordinary move, the government declared parts of Kwinana, Serpentine, Wanneroo and Armadale would be eligible to apply for the money.
Across the country, the Gold Coast, Woollongong and Geelong are all classified as regional and will be eligible to have projects funded by the BBRF while Mandurah and the Peel miss out.
Major infrastructure projects such as Mandurah’s Eastern Foreshore redevelopment and Pinjarra’s town revitalisation project could have been funded by the scheme, along with programs run by non-profits and community groups.
According to a Department of Industry, Innovation and Science website, the BBRF aims to “create jobs, drive economic growth and build stronger regional communities into the future”.
More to come.
Nathan Hondros
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
