The generous allocation for infrastructure projects in the South Australian State Budget has been welcomed by the Civil Contractors Federation – South Australia.
With a planned investment of $14 billion over the next four years, the State’s thrust on infrastructure development is expected to generate much needed jobs and provide stimulus to the economy.
Several big ticket infrastructure projects that had stalled due to federal government funding uncertainty will now be revived and taken forward.
The SA government has reached early agreement with the federal government on Commonwealth funding for these projects. The Federation has also welcomed the $5.5 million allocation in the budget towards the preparation of business cases for the incomplete sections of the north-south corridor.
The long pipeline of construction projects spread across metropolitan Adelaide and regional SA is a good strategy, says Federation CEO Mr Phil Sutherland who is confident that infra projects will address the economic malaise, low jobs growth and population stagnation currently being observed in the state.
According to Sutherland, the budget demonstrated that the government was firmly in control of the economy and understood that they could build their way out of a slow economy. The budget also recognises the importance of regional SA to the state economy.
Sutherland was impressed with the budget’s targeted strategy of investment into roads and other forms of regional infrastructure including $10 million in telephone blackspot funding as well as tax relief, and reductions in other government fees and charges to businesses and households.
