Government of Western Australia Department of Regional Development and Lands Royalties for Regions 2010 EDITION Putting it back into WA communities. Contents minister’s mEssagE 4 Wyndham a new apprOach 5 Kununurra making it happen 5 ThE Three funds 6 Derby Country LoCaL Government Fund 6 Broome reGionaL Community ServiCeS Fund 6 Fitzroy Crossing Halls Creek REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND HEADWORKS FUND 7 assEssing new prOpOsals 7 wEsterN ausTralIaN rEgional devElOpment TrusT 8 Port Hedland Wickham sTate-wide prOgrams benefitting cOmmunities in wEsterN ausTralIa 9 Dampier Roebourne Karratha Marble Bar Country aGe penSion FueL Card 9 Onslow Pannawonica assiStinG StudentS LivinG aWay From Home 9 Exmouth Community reSourCe CentreS 10 Tom Price reGionaL airport deveLopment schemeS 10 Coral Bay Paraburdoo Newman attraCtinG and retaininG Key perSonneL in reGionaL Wa 10 reGionaL WorKerS inCentive 11 Carnarvon Gascoyne Junction reCreationaL boatinG FaCiLitieS scheme 11 LinKinG peopLe to HeaLtH ServiCeS 11 Denham majOr prOjEcTs happening in ThE rEgions 12 Wiluna Meekatharra Murchison Settlement WorLd-class ord-eaSt KimberLey expanSion 12 piLbara CitieS - inviGoratinG tHe piLbara 12 Kalbarri Leinster Mt Magnet Sandstone Northampton GaSCoyne revitaLiSation 12 Mullewa Laverton Geraldton rEgional grants schEmE and cOuntry lOcal gOvErNment fund 13 Leonora Dongara Morawa GaSCoyne reGion 13 Leeman GoLdFieLdS-eSperanCe reGion 13 Jurien Bay Dalwallinu Cervantes Kalgoorlie - Boulder Moora Great SoutHern reGion 13 Wongan Hills Lancelin Coolgardie Gingin Southern KimberLey reGion 14 Northam Merredin Cross Eucla Bruce Rock York midWeSt reGion 14 Norseman Corrigin Mandurah Brookton peeL reGion 14 Narrogin Harvey Lake Grace Bunbury Wagin Collie piLbara reGion 15 Dunsborough Katanning Busselton Kojonup Margaret River Nannup Bridgetown Esperance wheatbeLt reGion 15 Augusta Manjimup Pemberton Mount Barker SoutH WeSt reGion 15 Denmark Albany 2 3 A new approach Royalties fOr Regions is a long-term vIsion fOr WesterN ausTralIa, one ThaT rEcOgnisEs ThaT ThE susTainablE devElOpment Of rEgional WesterN ausTralIa Is vital TO ThE State’s fuTurE. 25 per cent of the State’s mining and onshore petroleum It is a plan for the whole of Western Australia, with a royalties, which is equivalent to almost 4% of the State’s focus on building communities in regional areas through budget, is put back into regional areas through Royalties for six policy objectives: Regions. • building capacity in regional communities A total of $4.275billion has been budgeted through the • retaining benefits in regional communities Royalties for Regions fund from 2008-09 to 2013-14, with • improving services to regional communities $897million allocated to 2010-11. Funding continues to be distributed across nine regions of Western Australia through • attaining sustainability three funds, which are administered by the Department of • expanding opportunity; and Regional Development and Lands. • growing prosperity. Making it happen… Minister’s Message The initial work on Royalties for Regions was carried out by the Royalties for Regions is an historic agreement that underlines the State Major Regional Projects Division in the Department of Local Government’s long-term focus on regional development throughout Western Government and Regional Development. On 1 July 2009 the Australia. division became part of the new Department of Regional Development and Lands. Through Royalties for Regions, the equivalent of 25 per cent of the State’s mining and onshore petroleum royalties will be returned to the The division’s work is based on the central principles State’s regional areas each year as an additional investment in projects, underpinning Royalties for Regions. They are; infrastructure and community services. • strategic projects in regional Western Australia are a I am especially proud that Royalties for Regions is putting money back into priority; regional communities. Royalties for Regions projects are being implemented • local decision-making in regional areas is fundamental; right across the State, giving people in regional areas new opportunities and to help shape their own future and plan for longer-term sustainable • State Government department administration and development. It is exciting to see these initiatives getting under way based processes should provide for and support decision- on the Royalties for Regions commitment to support projects and services making in regional areas. determined and driven by the regional communities themselves. The work being done through Royalties for Regions is bringing real hope and a genuine In line with these principles, the division works closely with sense of excitement to people living, working and investing in regional WA. other organisations implementing Royalties for Regions initiatives. They include the State’s nine regional development commissions, community, business and industry, community resource centres, non-government organisations and other State Government departments and local governments. These alliances help ensure there is a strong focus on supporting local decision-making for regional expenditure and increasing the capacity of local governments (for example, through the Country Local Government Fund) and the regional development commissions (through the Regional Grants Scheme). 4 5 The three funds Royalties for Regions distributes benefits to regional communities through three funds - the Country Local Government Fund, the Regional Community Services Fund 3. ThE Regional INfrasTrucTurE and and the Regional Infrastructure and Headworks Fund. HeaDwOrks fund The three funds support strong and vibrant regional The Regional Infrastructure and Headworks Other initiatives supported by the Regional Infrastructure communities by; Fund supports large-scale, strategic regional and Headworks Fund include: infrastructure and headworks projects that are • improving infrastructure and headworks; acknowledged as being of strategic importance to • The Ord-East Kimberley Expansion Project • establishing across-government strategic and Western Australia. • The Pilbara Revitalisation Plan 2. ThE Regional Community sErvIcEs fund community service projects; • Housing for essential workers The fund aims to support strong investment in • providing a range of contestable grant opportunities; The Regional Community Services Fund is designed to regional WA and help leverage investment from • The Exploration Incentive Scheme and improve access to services in the regions. It supports services that have shown they are effective in enhancing other sources for projects that will contribute to • The Northern Towns Development Fund • building capacity in local communities. the quality of life for residents in regional areas and in the development of regional infrastructure and • Gascoyne infrastructure and development initiatives headworks. providing better access to government services and • The Bunbury to Albany Gas Pipeline infrastructure. 1. ThE Country Local GovErNment fund It also supports planning for infrastructure at the • The upgrade of the Nickol Bay Hospital The Country Local Government Fund supports local As well as funding a range of individual strategic projects, regional level and encourages regional communities • The redevelopment of the Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital governments in the nine regions defined in the Regional to develop infrastructure projects that benefit local the Regional Infrastructure and Headworks Fund includes • The Albany Regional Hospital Development Commissions Act 1993. The fund enables an annual allocation for the Regional Grants Scheme. organisations and communities. money to be provided direct to country local governments • Upgrades to regional airports (the Regional Airports for them to provide and renew infrastructure. The money in the Regional Grants Scheme is for Development Scheme) community, public and private organisations to improve The Country Local Government Fund aims to; and develop infrastructure and services in the regions. • address local infrastructure requirements; Requests for applications for grants are advertised widely to regional communities when the grant money is • improve asset management and capacity building in the available. sector; and • encourage standardised asset management practices Western Australia’s nine regional development and improved strategic regional governance in local commissions administer the Regional Grants Scheme, government. including assessing applications and determining grants. The fund supports additional expenditure by councils and Contact details for the commissions are on the back of this Assessing new can be used for buildings and infrastructure including roads, brochure. bridges, drainage, parks, footpaths and cycle ways, airports proposals and sewerage. The Regional Community Services Fund aims to; Most of the Royalties for Regions funds are allocated to specific commitments, projects Money from the fund cannot be used for non-infrastructure • assist regional communities achieve improved and programs. These include the Regional items such as buying plant and equipment, employing staff, access to a range of community services; Grants Scheme which provides funding through engaging consultants or retiring debt. • assist regional communities overcome a publicly advertised grants scheme. (See the disadvantages caused by remoteness; and Regional Community Services Fund) • attract and retain essential regional government New proposals should be assessed through employees.