Comment
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Resources for Regions scheme has been accused of being an exercise in "pork-barrelling" - funding electoral seats in such a way as to aid the Government.
Many critics in the Illawarra have put Wollongong's consistent bad luck down to the fact Wollongong and Keira are firmly Labor-held seats.
Labor-held Cessnock is clearly affected by mining, but has only been listed as eligible for the program since May this year, when it and Maitland (Liberal) were admitted.
And it has not missed critics' attention that Newcastle has been the beneficiary of significant funding since bucking that area's tradition and electing Liberal members in 2011.
But such an analysis can be misleading, as the Coalition has a large majority of seats across the state, so any given electorate is more likely to be held by Liberal or National members. In country electorates, where mines are often located, the members are also more likely to be Nationals.
Plus, while Wollongong has always voted Labor, it was held in 2011 by Noreen Hay by a margin of just 1 per cent, making it at least nominally a marginal seat.
Most significantly, the list of council areas that are eligible for funding is set - with the majority of them being Liberal or National-held seats, simply because this is where the mines are.
Wollondilly shire, home to significant mining activity and ranked highly according to the impact of mining, has not won any funding in any round of the program. Wollondilly is held by Liberal Jai Rowell and home to mines at Tahmoor, Appin and West Cliff, as well as coal seam gas exploration.
Still, it is difficult to escape the fact that Labor-held seats have received funding for just two projects over the life of the program.
Using royalties-per-capita to help rank regions has the effect of elevating areas with lower populations - bush seats more likely to be National - in the rankings.
But the reality is, the only seats held by Labor outside of Sydney are Wollongong, Keira, Shellharbour, Wallsend and Cessnock.
Shellharbour is not classed as a mining-affected city. Wallsend is part of Newcastle City.
Wollongong and Keira have had to content themselves with a single funded project, $4.5 million for upgrading the bridge on Cordeaux Rd.