The Guardian - ‘Unprecedented’ regional infrastructure budget spend targets battleground seats

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‘Unprecedented’ regional infrastructure budget spend targets battleground seats

Link [2022-03-29 17:34:44]

Federal budget promises industrial hubs in key electorates in Northern Territory, the Hunter, WA and central Queensland

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The federal budget promises an infrastructure cash splash in key regional electorates just in time for the federal election, with the Coalition announcing new industrial hubs in the Northern Territory, the New South Wales Hunter region and central Queensland seats the government needs to win or keep.

The National party leader, Barnaby Joyce, may have extracted more than $21bn in infrastructure and development spending in exchange for backing the Liberals’ net zero emissions plan, with the government’s pre-election budget promising money for inland rail, freight, the water grid and a regional accelerator program.