The budget has received a luke-warm reception in WA largely because of the state's shrinking share of road and rail infrastructure funding. It's one of a number of worries for the business community as the federal government further delays a decision on a key gas project in the state's north.
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00:00On the road to the federal election, WA is being left behind, getting just a fraction
00:08of the money set aside for road and rail projects in the federal budget.
00:12This is not a story that ends today.
00:15This is a continuing story and a continual challenge for Western Australia to continue
00:19to get our fair share.
00:20Of the $17 billion Labor's pledging over the next decade, WA is being promised just 2%,
00:27all for one project widening the Kwinana Freeway.
00:30We've also got another $640 million that's been provisioned to the state that is unallocated
00:36as yet and we'll be working with the federal government on the allocation of that road
00:41funding.
00:42But that money's only earmarked to be spent from 2029.
00:45If WA is going to continue to support the nation's finances, well the nation needs to
00:51invest in WA's infrastructure.
00:53The state's peak business and mining bodies are also concerned by news the deadline for
00:58the Federal Environment Minister to consider approving an extension to the Northwest Shelf
01:02Gas Project has been pushed beyond the election.
01:06This project is of vital importance to our great state and quite frankly it is an absolute
01:13disgrace.
01:15It is an act of cynical political manipulation.
01:18A spokesperson for Minister Tanya Plibersek says her department requested more time and
01:23the process as set out by the law would be followed.
01:26We've said that the process has taken too long.
01:30It's taken six years.
01:32We want to see environmental reforms more broadly for any project here in the state
01:37that are efficient and timely and give certainty so that investors can make decisions to bring
01:42capital here.
01:43But the delay's been welcomed by Greenpeace which called for rigorous assessment and due
01:47process given the potential for serious and irreversible harm to the environment.
01:52For the Liberals and Nationals though, the focus has been in their leaders Basil Zemplis
01:57and Shane Love meeting for the first time to hash out how they'll work together in opposition.
02:02There's no agreement yet but with parliament back in two weeks, the pressure's on to reach
02:07one soon.