NSW Shadow Minister for Natural Resources and the Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully is the architect of the program overhaul and fairer share of mining royalties.

“NSW Labor will take the politics out of Resources for Regions and make sure Wollongong gets its fair share from the huge contribution mining makes to the NSW economy.

“NSW Labor’s fairer plan takes the politics out of Resources for Regions and makes sure mining communities get back their fair share including Wollongong”, he said.

Councils in mining areas will receive a share of at least $100 million per year.  If royalties allow, a NSW Labor Government would look to provide more.

NSW Labor’s new Resources for Regions program will also:

• Prioritise local job creation and businesses under Labor’s NSW Made policy.
• Allow Councils to undertake investment attraction activities to support jobs growth in mining communities in line with their long-term plans for the future.

Mr Scully said, “NSW Labor’s Resources for Regions program is all about jobs, investment, funding certainty and making sure mining communities get their fair share every year.

“No mining community anywhere in the state will have to suffer again from the political games played by the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government on the level of funding provided to mining communities each year.

“Under the NSW Liberals and Nationals mining communities are never sure how much funding will be available each year to build the roads, bridges and local community infrastructure to support jobs and expand business opportunities.

“Under Round 6 of the program the Deputy Premier John Barilaro underspent the funding by almost 50 percent robbing mining communities, including Wollongong, of much-needed projects.

“Resources for Regions funding should not be the plaything of the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government.

“It should be focused on supporting and creating jobs and building local infrastructure.

“Mining communities across the state, including in Wollongong, are sick and tired of contributing so much and getting ripped off by the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government which only focuses on Sydney and its projects”, he said.

Mr Scully also announced a NSW Labor Government would meet the cost of master planning mine and power station sites prior to their closure, if the site owner or operators commit to maintaining, or increasing the number of jobs at the site.

“This will allow valuable infrastructure and land to be repurposed for job creation when a mine or power station reaches the end of its life”, he said.

Mr Scully said the NSW Labor Resources for Regions policy provides mining communities across NSW with funding certainty each year to invest in jobs and local infrastructure.