BUDGET | MERCURY SAYS
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The State Treasurer, Mike Baird, on Tuesday delivered a slap to the face of this community. Then, not content with that, he stuck the boot in for good measure.
Now, surely, after Tuesday's state budget, there can be no doubt about the utter disdain the politicians in Sydney hold for the Illawarra.
Let us back up a little.
Last year, the government weathered a storm of community protest to sell - excuse us, lease - Port Kembla to private enterprise for 99 years.
At the time of the announcement, Mr Baird expected the lease to generate up to $500 million.
In return, the Illawarra would get $100 million for new infrastructure.
Many in this community were angry. Angry the port would be leased against their wishes, and doubly angry such a small portion of the funds would be spent here, where it is so desperately needed.
Then, when the dastardly deed was finally done, community anger mounted again.
NSW Treasurer Mike Baird at the state budget press conference.That was when we learned Port Kembla fetched $760 million - $260 million more than expected - yet not one extra cent of the additional money would be allocated to this region.
We had our $100 million and we should be grateful for it.
Yet on Tuesday, in the state budget, two new facts emerged.
The first of those facts was trotted out and paraded around with all the fanfare becoming a superstar.
Yet it was an announcement of staggering contempt for this community.
Mr Baird says the government now intends to lease the Port of Newcastle too, and while it expects that to generate about $700million, or $60million less than Port Kembla, Newcastle will receive a whopping $340million for a massive revitalisation of that city’s centre.
In fact, according to Mr Baird, the government’s plans go “beyond a mere revitalisation; it will effectively be the rebirth of Newcastle as a modern city”.
Indeed, the government is so eager to get cracking on this, that $120 million has already been committed to the project.
“The renewal of Newcastle will proceed regardless,” Mr Baird said.
The $340million from the lease is only required to “turbo-charge [the timing of] this priority project”.
While that first fact received headline billing, the second fact was to be found skulking in the fine print of the budget like something to be ashamed of, which it surely is.
Last October, before the lease of Port Kembla was concluded, Mr Baird told this newspaper that since the government would receive all the lease proceeds up-front, “the $100million could be available for the Illawarra straight away”.
But as so often happens with politicians, the truth is somewhat different: instead, a mere $20million will be allocated this year.
Even though the government already has the money in its hot little hands, the cash is apparently to be doled out piecemeal.
So there it is. Not only does Newcastle get $340million for a brand new city centre, the government can barely wait to hand over the money.
While we here in the Illawarra are expected to be grateful for $100million – and oh by the way, don’t spend it all at once.
Of Newcastle, Mr Baird says: “The city’s time has come.”
We say: When is our time, Mr Baird?
And where is our money?
