Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster is today very happy to announce the Coalition will re-establish the highly successful Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) to drive economic development, create jobs, and build stronger regional communities into the future.

Dr Webster said the Coalition will invest in job-creating projects across regional Australia by restoring the Building Better Regions Fund program with an initial two-year $250 million investment commencing in 2025-26.

“The Building Better Regions Fund played a vital role in rural and regional Australia, strengthening local economies, improving liveability, and creating jobs - benefits that were stripped away when Labor axed the program,” Dr Webster said.

“The ‘BBRF’ funded game-changing projects in Mallee like Mildura Sporting precinct, the Grampians Peaks Trail, new facilities for Mallee Family Care, the Ouyen Livestock Exchange, Murrayville Recreation Reserve complex and changerooms, artificial turf for Underbool bowls club, sporting facilities in Swan Hill and Lake Boga, Charlton 2020, and the recently opened Woodbine Inc. residential facilities at Warracknabeal.”

“By contrast, Labor’s investment in Mallee this last threeyears is 5 per cent of the $2 billion the former Coalition government investedin the preceding three years.”

Under the Coalition’s plan for a stronger regional Australia, the revived BBRF will invest in community initiatives, events and infrastructure projects that drive regional economic growth and resilience.

The Fund will be targeted at regional, rural and remote communities.

The new Building Better Regions Fund will be an ongoing open application program for two years, until available funds are exhausted.

Local governments and not-for-profit organisations will be eligible to apply for funding, with grants of between $25,000 to $200,000 available for community initiatives and $50,000 up to $10 million for community and economic infrastructure.

Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie said “There is a clear need to bring back the BBRF, after Labor axed more than $10 billion worth of regional programs on coming to office.”

“Labor’s regional economic development programs have been beset by chronic delays, vague criteria, inconsistent assessment processes and poor communication with communities.”

“Applicants to Labor’s programs have had to wait more than 18 months from submitting applications in August 2023 to receiving contract agreements in January 2025, and the states have been imposed as ticket-clipping middle-men creaming funds off the program that were intended for the regions.”

Dr Webster said Mallee shires have been battling without investment from the Albanese Labor Government.

“Local councils and not-for-profits are crying out for support to be able to invest in community and economic infrastructure – initiatives that are critical to building regional economic growth and resilience,” Dr Webster said.

“Labor ignored the regions in its most recent budget with no new funding to keep regional programs going.

“The continual neglect of rural and regional Australia by the Albanese Government is an absolute disgrace and will be rectified by a Coalition Government.

Originally launched by the Coalition in 2017, the BBRF delivered nearly $1.4 billion to more than 1,200 projects, supporting new infrastructure, tourism, and community development initiatives across rural and regional Australia.

The final round was terminated by the Albanese Government against the advice of the Department, despite 815 applications having been received and assessed.

The Coalition will work closely with regional leaders, councils, and community organisations to ensure the revitalised BBRF meets the evolving needs of Australia’s diverse regions.

The new Building Better Regions Fund will be supported with an initial investment of $250 million over two years, while a Dutton Coalition Government legislates to establish the Regional Australia Future Fund. One of the initial key priorities for this Fund identified following extensive community consultation includes building and upgrading economic and community infrastructure, facilities and services.

This commitment builds upon Coalition commitments to:

•                     establish the $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund;

•                     $1 billion to re-establish the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, and

•                     $250 million to immediately boost Roads to Recovery road funding to councils to $1 billion per year.

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