Federal budget funding for rail, roads, councils and medicare to be closely watched in the MIA

We identify five areas on which the government is likely to make a decision or funding commitment. 

An inland rail freight line from Melbourne to Brisbane could transform agriculture in Australia – enabling farmers to get produce to ports quicker, safer and more efficiently for export.  

The nation-building project has been on hold for three decades, and The Area News has been critical the decision for the route to bypass the food bowls of Shepparton and the MIA. 

But will something finally get off the ground? How much the government pledges will give us an indication if they are serious. It was initially speculated that $1 billion would be set aside for the project, a tiny fraction of the estimated $10 billion plus cost.

But over the past couple of days, rumors are the government will pledge a much higher amount, as much as $8 billion. 

Sick Griffins on average have to spend far more their Sydneysiders for medical care, and find it harder to find bulk billing doctors. 

For this reason they are hurt more by the federal government’s medicare rebate indexation freeze – which is the amount you get back from medicare for medical appointments. 

For example, the rebate for a visit to the GP is $37, and it’s been frozen – so it hasn’t increased with general price rises in the economy. Had it been pulled up with inflation, the rebate would be more than $40 by now. 

In its budget submission, the Rural Doctor Association of Australia call for the removal of the freeze, as it “continues to negatively impact on rural and remote patients and the viability of rural and remote practices”.

Griffith has lost up to half a million dollars over the past three years due to a freezing of federal government assistance.

Federal assistance grants are annual payments by the federal government to local governments. One allocation is provided for the councils to spend on improving roads, and another allocation can be spent at the council’s discretion.  

Historically, these payments have increased every year in line with general price increases, called indexation. However, in 2014, the federal government decided to freeze the indexation. 

Griffith City Council Director Business Cultural and Financial Service, Max Turner identified the restoration of indexation on financial assistance grants  as a major priority for council, commenting the decision to remove indexation some four years ago has been to the detriment of local communities and has reduced funding for much needed community infrastructure and services. 

The roads-to-recovery program is a funding scheme for local governments to spend on road projects. 

Mayor John Dal Broi said council would like to see a further commitment  to the ongoing funding of the program, as it provides essential funding towards the upgrade and maintenance of local roads.

"Securing a successful outcome in these two areas [indexation freeze and roads-to-recovery] would provide greater financial security and capacity to deliver essential infrastructure and services for all Councils into the future", he said.

Mobile black spots are a frustration to farmers and businesses across the MIA. 

The federal government's mobile black spot program provides staggered funding to improve telecommunications networks in regional areas. 

The recent decision that Telstra won’t have to share its mobile network in rural areas with other mobile service providers makes ongoing funding for this program even more crucial.

The National Farmers Federation want the federal government to commit at least $60 million a year to this program.