WA Greens warn of pending remote community closures if funding feud not resolved

Tuesday, 9th October 2018

The Greens (WA) have warned that remote communities may be closed if a stable funding solution is not agreed to by the state and federal governments.

As the feud between the McGowan Government and the Liberal Federal Government continues, Greens MP Robin Chapple said that the uncertainty in communities was causing unrest and anxiety.

“What is concerning is that the unwillingness to fund remote housing and services is creating circumstances similar to those that were used to announce the closure of communities by the previous Barnett Government,” Mr Chapple said.

“There are 1350 houses that must be built in WA over the next decade and the Federal Government has walked away from a decades-long funding arrangement. It’s shameful.

“It’s also a matter of service provision to these remote areas, which is costly but an absolute necessity for keeping these communities running.

“We know that many remote communities don’t have access to safe drinking water, with uranyl-nitrate contamination affecting renal health in several areas. So far there has been a complete unwillingness from the State Government to address this.

“The Greens have got a Bill in the WA Parliament that would prevent the closure of communities without permission. The real danger is that as services stop being provided, communities will close by default which is exactly the kind of practice our Bill seeks to prevent.

“It’s clear that the Morrison Government doesn’t give a toss about remote communities.

Media Contact: Liam Carter – 0449 151 490

 

Go to top