Senator lashes MP over bungled cash bids

Jessica Benton
THE OPPOSITION yesterday attacked Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman after revealing three more applications from the region had failed to secure cash from the Federal Government’s Housing Affordability Fund.
Liberal Senator Michael Ronaldson said the fund had knocked back two Surf Coast Shire applications for a total $6 million for water projects in Torquay’s northern and Spring Creek urban growth areas.
A Golden Plains Shire application for $1.5 million to build a bridge at Bannockburn’s Bruce’s Creek had also failed, Mr Ronaldson said.
The knock-backs followed the failure of a $40 million City of Greater Geelong application for water infrastructure in the City’s urban growth areas at Armstrong Creek and Jetty Road, Clifton Springs.
Mr Cheeseman later attacked the City over the failure, accusing it of lodging a sloppy application.
Senator Ronaldson said the latest application failures highlighted Mr Cheeseman’s “obsession with spin over substance”.
“One would assume Mr Cheeseman involved himself in the development of these submissions. If he did, why didn’t he ensure the applications were of acceptable level and if he didn’t then it’s a gross dereliction of his responsibilities,” Mr Ronaldson said.
“Its about time Mr Cheeseman accepts responsibility and stops his buck passing.
“He needs to get on the phone to his Housing Minister, Tanya Plibersek, and lobby for the five affordable housing initiatives in round two.”
Mr Cheeseman put the blame for the latest failures back on the shires.
He said “administrative problems” had hurt their bids.
“Our role is really to ask councils to put their best foot forward for these projects. It’s not our job to make the applications,” he said.
“We advocate for the region but we don’t make the applications. It’s up to developers and councils to make the applications.
“We’re urging councils to put a lot of effort into the application process.”
Mr Cheeseman told the shires to clean up their application processes before the second round of funding.
Second-round applications were due in March, he said.