VIC:Federal bureaucracy unnecessary: Baillieu

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2011
VIC:Federal bureaucracy unnecessary: Baillieu

MELBOURNE, April 28 AAP - Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu says the federal government
is putting up unnecessary barriers to securing Commonwealth flood levy funding for flood-ravaged
communities.

Mr Baillieu has accused the federal government of trying to avoid delivering $500 million
earmarked for Victoria's 94 flood-ravaged communities after Queensland received $2 billion.

Victoria is refusing to sign up to the National Partnership Agreement, saying it wants
to avoid a repeat of Labor's bungled household insulation scheme.

"I think (the Commonwealth is) needlessly imposing bureaucracy where they don't need
to," Mr Baillieu said on Thursday.

"If we can encourage them to spend money more wisely we would be foolish not to do that."

Regional Australia Minister Simon Crean says the federal government is not withholding the funds.

"We made the commitment to support Victoria as we did Queensland in the flood recovery
effort," Mr Crean told reporters in Brisbane.

"We will honour that commitment. What we need is a framework to deliver it through.

"We've got that framework with Queensland, we simply need it with Victoria."

He said the federal government was waiting for the Victorian government to sign the agreement.

"If we're putting large amounts of taxpayers' dollars in, including the flood levy,
people want to know if it's going to the right purpose and we need a framework that ensures
that happens," Mr Crean said.

AAP ees/pmu/de

KEYWORD: FLOODS VIC (VIDEO AVAILABLE)

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