MEANDER DAM BUSINESS CASE UNDER SCRUTINY
Wasted Money Forces Cuts to Budget
Kim Booth MP
Greens Primary Industry spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens in estimates hearings today again raised the issue of probity when spending public funds and the need to justify expenditure through a proper business case.
Greens Primary Industry spokesperson Kim Booth MP asked the Minister to provide details of any economic returns to justify the $30-odd million of public funds, and said he was disappointed, but not surprised that the Minister for Primary Industry, Bryan Green, was unable to provide details of any increase in agricultural activity post Meander Dam construction.
Mr Booth also said it was uncertain whether the outputs had met the claims of the alleged business case that was initially used to justify the use of public money to build the dam.
“The Greens were disappointed but not surprised that Minister Green was unable to provide any details regarding increases in crops or economic value of the dam to the State,” Mr Booth said.
“The Labor Government of the day fast tracked the construction of the dam, despite the Resource Management Planning Appeals Tribunal (RMPAT) rejection of the project, finding it economically unviable and environmentally unsustainable.”
“It looks like the RMPAT assessment was correct and Labor have expended in the order of $30 million of public funds on a project that has not delivered a return.”
“No wonder front line services across health and education are now occurring after majority Labor chose popularity rather than probity in the use of public money in 2008. Taxpayers now are bearing the real cost of avoidable bad decision of the past.”
“Labor ignored my warnings just like they ignored my warning that electricity prices would increase if they bought the gas power station.”
“The legacy of wasted money means that some other successful business pays the ferryman, or services are cut. You can’t have it both ways,” Mr Booth said.
