Media Release

1 July 2015: KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has today welcomed an extra $36.7 million in road funding to Kennedy Local Governments from the Federal Government through the Roads to Recovery Program, whilst still remaining critical of the Federal Government’s fuel excise indexation.

Councils across Australia will receive an extra $1.105 billion over the next two years as a result of the fuel excise indexation, with Kennedy Council’s pocketing an extra $36,714,137. On the fuel excise indexation, Mr Katter has previously stated the Treasurer is simply reflecting the attitudes of a Government that is wildly out of touch with non-metropolitan Australia.

“Commuter transportation systems are heavily subsidised. We already pay a 50 per cent tax on fuel – whereas metropolitan areas enjoy 50 per cent subsidy on public transport.

“The Kennedy electorate covers a very large portion of North West Queensland – people have to travel great distances to get groceries, visit the dentist, and go to a specialist or to catch a plane.

“The Government is trying to bury the fact we are paying more for petrol.

“The excise will put further burdens on our transport industries and will see the cost of freighted goods rise dramatically,” Mr Katter said.

However, Mr Katter is pleased the money from the fuel excise is being directed to Local Councils for road funding, as opposed to funding for public transport systems. Public transport options are virtually non-existent in rural and regional Australia and would have had negligible benefit to the Kennedy electorate.

“Road funding has been made a very serious issue with the State Government, given the powerful position of the KAP in the QLD Government. This in turn pressures the Federal Government.

“The Government has not come to grips with the need for alternative routes for Far North Queensland – Charters Towers Road and the Hann Highway.

“We appreciate the extra Federal funding that has gone out to Local Governments; but by the same token it is cold comfort when one of the key strategic roads - the Charters Towers-Ravenshoe highway is still strangled by 40-50km of single lane highway.

“There has been no really substantial allocation of monies whatsoever.

“I can’t help but compare it to the good old days of the Country Party when we laid down 160km of pavement on dirt roads every year. Kennedy people would remember that,” Mr Katter said.

The additional funding allocations to Local Governments in Kennedy through the Roads to Recovery program are listed below.

Amount of new funding for Kennedy Councils

Boulia Shire Council - $1,234,164

Burdekin Shire Council (Dalbeg) - $1,374,768

Burke Shire Council - $667,322

Cairns Regional Council (Edmonton and Gordonvale) - $4,029,187

Carpentaria Shire Council - $1,645,030

Cassowary Coast Regional Council - $1,587,112

Charters Towers Regional Council - $3,935,886

Cloncurry Shire Council - $1,509,618

Croydon Shire Council - $1,008,853

Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council - $128,978

Etheridge Shire Council - $1,633,562

Flinders Shire Council - $1,869,314

Hinchinbrook Shire Council - $848,854

Mareeba Shire Council - $2,506,718

McKinlay Shire Council - $1,843,074

Mornington Shire Council - $241,207

Mount Isa City Council - $2,283,063

Richmond Shire Council - $1,171,280

Tablelands Regional Council - $2,155,500

Townsville City Council (Northern Beaches) - $4,946,441

Yarrabah Community Council - $94,206