At an infrastructure forum hosted by the NSW Property Council in Newcastle today, NSWMC chief executive Stephen Galilee said government investment in Hunter infrastructure must keep pace with mining and population growth.

“The NSW government has made a start with some infrastructure funding being provided in the recent state budget, but clearly more needs to be done,” Galilee said.

“Given the contribution that mining royalties are making to the NSW state budget, more funding must be provided to communities in the Hunter through Resources for Regions and Hunter Infrastructure Fund, particularly the mining communities of the Upper Hunter.”

The NSWMC noted also that the Hunter region was the state’s fastest growing area outside of Sydney and that disproportionate allocation of funding was placing pressure on local communities.

“[T]he federal government should stop playing cynical politics by using Regional Infrastructure Funding as a weapon to influence state government policy. Ultimately it’s the people of the Hunter who will feel the impact,” Galilee said.

“In 2010 the federal government promised $6 billion in infrastructure funding over ten years, committing $2 billion of this to Queensland and $2 billion to Western Australia. The rest of Australia was to share $2 billion over ten years.

“So far NSW has received just $2 million in funding from a total of $6 billion, despite promises from Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese that the Hunter alone would be entitled to $600 million.

“The federal government is clearly withholding infrastructure funding from NSW as a political weapon in its disputes with the NSW government.

“Regardless of their political affiliations, members of parliament from our mining regions should reject this tactic and end the federal infrastructure funding blockade.”

About 17,000 people are employed in mining or associated industries in the Hunter region.