Rudd Labor refuses to play ball with Strahan recreation centre

The Rudd Labor Government’s failure to connect with community was plain for all to see when the Tasmanian Liberal Senate Team visited Strahan today.

Liberal Senators Richard Colbeck, Eric Abetz, Stephen Parry, Guy Barnett and David Bushby met with Strahan Primary School and West Coast Council representatives this morning.

“The case outlined to us was that Strahan Primary desperately needs a full size gymnasium – the current space used for indoor sports doubles as the school bus garage,” Senator Colbeck said.

“The current community space is tiny and utilises a second-hand former Hydro ablutions block as a change room.

“The school had hoped to access funds from Labor’s Building the Education Revolution (BER) program to get the project underway but the guidelines of this slap-dash program were so inflexible that Strahan Primary was deemed two children short of the number of pupils required for a project of that size.

“The flaws in Labor’s BER program mean that Strahan Primary will get the same amount of funding as a Queensland school with just one pupil, and as a result Strahan Primary has had to settle for a smaller, lesser priority project.

“Rudd Labor, and Braddon MP Sid Sidebottom, are really out of touch with the Strahan community on this matter.

“The Rudd Government has twice rejected a Strahan Recreation Centre project for funding now – once under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program and once under the Jobs Fund – despite the glaring need for such a centre and the strong case that has been presented.

“Mr Sidebottom was a member of the West Coast Development Group which came up with a very well-planned recreation centre proposal so it is very disappointing that he has failed to secure any positive outcomes for this community.

“This case demonstrates that Rudd Labor’s BER program was never designed with the best interests of the schools and their communities in mind, and also that Rudd Labor is failing to connect with the real needs of regional communities,” Senator Colbeck said.
Senator Richard Colbeck