Even as she shed some tears in federal parliament to feign concern over the Queensland flood disaster, Prime Minister Julia Gillard made clear last Wednesday that little of her government’s “relief package” would go to rebuilding local council infrastructure.
According to the Local Government Association of Queensland, 63 of the state’s 73 local government areas suffered major flood and cyclone destruction in December and January. The association estimates that damage to council-owned assets would cost over $2.5 billion to repair. Facilities affected include water treatment facilities, sewage plants, roads and bridges.
Gillard, however, responded to these pressing needs by invoking a clause of the National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements that exempts the federal government from providing repair funds for local council assets that provide services which carry a charge. There will be no federal funds to repair flood-damaged council services such water, sewage or Brisbane’s river ferry terminals.
The overwhelming majority of Labor’s $5.6 billion flood package will be used for repairing economic infrastructure, such as railways, roads and ports, that mostly service the mining industry and other major corporations...
Yesterday, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) called on the government to cut disability pensions to pay for flood relief. BCA president Graham Bradley told ABC radio that the pensions were a “large budget item” that should be “reassessed”.http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/floo-f15.shtml
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
