Carroll pledges to direct all mineral royalties to Victoria’s regions — ABC News Australia
In Australia, Victoria Premier Ben Carroll said that if the Labor Party government is re-elected, 100% of revenue from natural resource royalties will be directed to regional infrastructure. As ABC News reports, the initiative was presented as part of the election campaign ahead of the state election scheduled for November 28.
Royalties for the regions
Carroll plans to introduce the Royalties for the Regions policy, inspired by a program that has long operated in Western Australia. According to him, all state revenue from natural resource royalties will be reinvested in regional infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
The premier noted that Victoria’s mineral resources are estimated to generate $500 million over the next four years. As examples of a revival in the mining sector, he cited the recently approved Avonbank Mineral Sands project in the Wimmera region and the Southern Cross Gold Sunday Creek exploration project.
The first similar policy in Western Australia was promoted by then National Party leader Brendon Grylls. It was a condition of his support for Liberal leader Colin Barnett, who became premier after the inconclusive 2008 state election.
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The Coalition’s plan for technical education
Opposition leader Jess Wilson, for her part, promised that a Coalition government, if it wins the election, will establish 10 new technical colleges in the state based on the South Australian model. Students will study there full-time in Years 10–12.
According to the Coalition’s estimate, the program will cost $222 million over eight years and enable a total of 5,000 students to be trained. The colleges will offer training in plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, healthcare and hospitality.
Wilson said the initiative should help address the shortage of skilled workers. The Coalition criticizes the existing Labor-created Tech Schools, calling them short-term introductory centers without vocational qualifications.
