Coalition announces new $20 billion fund for regional, infrastructure

With polls looming, the coalition is focusing on bushes and is about to announce a $20 billion permanent fund to bridge the Australian gap between the region and the city.

The Nationalist Party has pledged to establish a $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund (RAFF) if the Union wins federal elections.

The fund, designed to exist forever, will remove the need for constant lobbying to support infrastructure in the Australian region, said citizen leader David Littleproud.

“We’re constantly fighting in the Australian region, fighting to get the final spending of infrastructure that doesn’t fit into a normal pot of money,” he said.

“This is to make sure you have a reliable amount of funds that can be a year.”

The proposal includes a second initiative, the Future Generations Fund. It aims to reduce national debt and support infrastructure projects.

Related Stories

To build capital, the Union plans to allocate 80% of the annual budget surplus driven by rising commodity prices.

How the fund works

Luffs are legalized and modeled workers’ housing and manufacturing funds.

It starts with the first $5 billion in seed capital from the federal government, funded by scrapping the $20 billion renewable energy inflynisation initiative for workers.

Budget breakouts, particularly due to increased resource prices, are aimed at increasing the fund to $20 billion over four years by donating 80% of the additional surplus.

$1 billion will be allocated from the federal budget to ensure timely project deployment.

The fund is projected to provide $1 billion in annual dividends to support local infrastructure such as roads, digital connectivity and healthcare services.

Competitive grants and local impact

National Senator Bridget Mackenzie ensured that money from the fund would be allocated through an independent analysis and not used for political gain.

“We shouldn’t go to the seats held by members of the Liberal and Kuomintang. There should be around nine million of us who don’t live in the capital,” she said.

Funds will be distributed to nonprofits and local councils through competitive grants to address infrastructure gaps.

This includes upgrading childcare centers or increasing federally supported university placement.

Little Proud defended the redistribution funds from renewable energy projects, claiming that Australians in the region deserved a fair share.

“I don’t think there’s that much to ask our city counterparts. It’s about giving us life amenities, so that people will continue to contribute to our economy and come and live in the Australian region,” he said.

In another campaign pledge, the coalition committed $1.5 million to improve food labeling laws to prevent consumers from accidentally purchasing plant-based meat alternatives.

“In a living crisis… my family came to think of buying “cheap” meat products, such as beef and chicken, when they are actually plant-based,” Little Proud said.

Labor counters with targeted rural support

Meanwhile, during the major announcement election season, Labour announced its own support strategy for rural Australia.

The Albanese government has allocated $600 million for people with diverse backgrounds and life experiences, as well as access to support in local home aging care services.

A rural eligible provider or a person providing professional care can apply for additional funds to increase the financial viability of existing services.

During the initial leadership debate, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tackled infrastructure and education challenges in semi-country towns like Tamur.

When asked about the shortage of facilities, Albanese provided more than $4 billion in public school funding, citing a federal agreement with New South Wales.

“Schools are being made by the state government from a capital financing perspective. But… the New South Wales alone agreement is worth more than $4 billion in additional funds for public schools,” he said.