Cash grab begins ahead of AusLink II announcement

<p>The scramble for cash ahead of a Federal Government decision on AusLink II has begun, before estimates and a funding timeline has been announced.</p> <p>AusLink II is scheduled to start in 2009.</p> <p>Western Australia’s economic growth would be stifled unless the state received its fair share of Canberra’s reported $19bn Auslink infrastructure funding package, planning and infrastructure minister Alannah MacTiernan claimed.</p> <p>Ms MacTiernan has called on the Federal Government to give WA’s road and rail infrastructure &#8220proper recognition&#8221 and not overlook the state in favour of marginal eastern states seats, as it did with the first funding package. </p> <p>"WA is doing the heavy lifting and it is time the Federal Government shared the load," Ms MacTiernan said. </p> <p>While the State Government’s infrastructure spending was at record levels, WA needed more help to cater for the extraordinary growth in exports, she said.</p> <p>Meanwhile, advocates for a proposed rail freight hub for the Wimmera region are calling for funding commitments for the &#8220Dooen Hub&#8221.</p> <p>North-West Municipalities Association chairman Darryl Argall said the hub, regarded as the region’s priority transport project, was overlooked in the last round of federal grants.</p> <p>"We’ve spent two years and $30,000 to $40,000 doing up a regional strategy and a regional priority, only not to have it listened to and they’ve just funded what they wanted to fund anyway," he said.</p> <p>"Well, if they’re going to do it that way, tell us and save us all the work of doing the regional programming."</p> <p>Federal transport minister Mark Vaile, talking up a national logistics plan to be spearheaded by the Australian Logistics Council, said the nation was in a fortunate situation.</p> <p>&#8220We can afford to do it (invest in infrastructure),&#8221 he said.</p> <p>&#8220We have the money, we don’t have to borrow money. </p> <p>&#8220Because we don’t have any debt, because the economy has grown to a trillion dollar economy, because we’ve taken a lot of pressure off the budget &#8230 we have all as a nation got ourselves into a situation where we can afford to do this. </p> <p>&#8220We must not miss the opportunity to invest, and invest wisely in the future.&#8221</p> <br />