By BRAD PERRY

SOUTH Australia’s major political parties have put their cards on the table and indicated Chaffey’s importance at the up coming state election with both the State Government and Opposition offering the Riverland recovery packages worth $20 million over four years.

Liberal leader Isobel Redmond visited the region on Monday to announce the State

Opposition’s $10 million Riverland Recovery Fund but was outdone by an announcement that the State Government will invest in a $20 million Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund.

In a tit for tat response, Ms Redmond immediately decided to match the State Government’s funding, likening the scenario to “a game of poker”.

“I think it is another case of follow the leader,” she said.

“Obviously we will match (the funds) seeing as they have found this miraculous amount of money that last week apparently wasn’t anywhere.

“They are miraculously able to come up with money, I strongly suspect they have got a slush fund to keep putting out spot fires with.”

Liberal candidate for Chaffey Tim Whetstone said the situation is a win for the region and urged the State Government to continue raising the stakes.

“For the current government to come out and up the ante to $20 million, I think it is only of a benefit to the region and to be quite honest, if it does generate a bidding war, the Chaffey or Riverland will be the beneficiary and at the moment I say bring it on,” he said.

“My challenge to the current government is; are they prepared to up the ante?”

While making the $20 million announcement in Adelaide, Member for Chaffey Karlene Maywald played down suggestions of a bidding war, stating funding plans had already been in place through the Riverland Futures Taskforce and the $20 million is now in the budget.

“The Liberal Party is bidding against themselves,” she said.

“Good try is all I can say to the Libs.

“(The taskforce has) very dedicated people in the face of all sorts of criticism.

“We are facing a mountain of troubles...but the community, working together through the taskforce, have achieved an enormous boost.”

With the State Government focusing its $20 million Futures Fund on investing in projects that improve infrastructure, support industry attraction and help grow existing business, the opposition promised on ground support to help businesses, irrigators and families rebuild through the current

drought.

Both the Liberal and Labor parties outlined deficiencies in each other’s plans.

“We specifically didn’t want to do it through the Riverland Futures Fund because this government, as I understand it, set up a taskforce and had meeting after meeting with the community but they haven’t actually put any money out into the electorate,” Ms Redmond said.

“One party has got a plan, the other doesn’t, they are just throwing numbers out there,” Mrs Maywald said in response.

Family First MLC Robert Brokenshire insisted more money could be directed towards the region by both parties.

“Let’s not forget, $5 million per annum is a 0.033 per cent drop in the bucket of a $15,000 million state budget,” he said.

REDMOND LAYS DOWN THE GAUNTLET

By BRAD PERRY

IT’S fight night in the political boxing ring that is the Riverland and the gloves are off.

With the election 30 days away, both the Labor and Liberal parties have begun to question each other’s credentials for the seat of Chaffey.

Liberal leader Isobel Redmond, on her fourth visit to the region since taking over the opposition’s hot seat, said the State Government has neglected Australia’s biggest wine producing region.

“I don’t know how often the Premier has been up here during the last term, I suspect not very often and I think there is a failure to recognise what an important part of our economy the Riverland represents,” she said.

State Regional Development Minister Paul Caica targeted Ms Redmond during the launch of the government’s package, stating she is “far from ready for the serious responsibility of government”.

He added that the opposition’s $20 million commitment to the Riverland is a “half-cocked scheme”.

“Isobel Redmond is nowhere near ready to provide the people of the Riverland with this kind of leadership that the Riverland needs to build a sustainable future,” he said.

Ms Redmond was quick to respond.

“I’d like to know how many visits Paul Caica has made to the Riverland and on what he bases his assertions?” she said.

“That seems to be to me totally incomprehensible, that on the one hand, they want to say ‘it can’t be done and I can’t be trusted to do it and oh, by the way, we will do twice as much’.

“My intention is to get money out on to the ground as quickly as possible because their futures fund, the taskforce, has achieved nothing.

“All they have done is talk and no action and I want to see money out there actually helping the community, not just paying more bureaucrats to spin around in a circle and achieve nothing.”

Member for Chaffey Karlene Maywald said the opposition is throwing around money and making “outlandish” claims.

“The Liberal opposition needs to think

about that what they announce has substance,” she said.

“They need to get with the program.”

COMPARING THE TWO PACKAGES

By BRAD PERRY

WHILE both political parties have promised a $20 million investment in the Riverland, it will be up to voters to decide which package will be more beneficial.

The State Government’s Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund spanning over four years will be operated through the Riverland Futures Taskforce, which was established over 12 months ago.

The Labor Government has already targeted a number of projects through the taskforce to spend the $20 million, including a focus on areas of tourism and businesses.

The development of a centre of excellence within the Loxton Research Centre, developing new business models and creating greater efficiency in the value chain, food and tourism initiatives, commercial use of water from the Waikerie Salt Interception Scheme, expanding the Flinders University Rural Clinic School site and creating stage one of the Great Riverland Walks are all included on the taskforce

list.

“It’s about what the community has done and put together and what they are going to spend it on,” Mrs Maywald said.

Mrs Maywald said a conceptual plan has been drawn up and the State Government and taskforce will work through the scope of projects in coming months.

The Liberal Party has targeted local families, businesses and irrigators to spend its $20 million Riverland Recovery Fund, starting within 100 days of being elected, but the State Government is accusing the Liberals of taking its idea.

“The problem for the Redmond Liberals is that people in the Riverland can see through their attempt to hijack what has been a carefully thought through and widely consulted upon plan,” Minister Caica said.

The Liberals have targeted the State Government’s Riverland Futures Taskforce as a problem and Ms Redmond said the party will not use the taskforce for its recovery fund.

“My aim is to get money out on the ground as quickly as possible and obviously to involve local people to do that because I don’t believe that bureaucrats are the best people necessarily...local people deserve to be more in charge of their own destiny,” she said.

Liberal candidate for Chaffey Tim Whetstone said the money will be invested in local businesses and invested in opportunities to secure a future for the

region.

“I met with Isobel and her team extensively over driving this assistance package but again as I say, this initiative is all about supporting the future of the region,” he said.

“What the future of this region is about is the people that are prepared to stay (on their blocks) and be all about driving this region into the future.”