The Member for Chaffey, Tim Whetstone, says regional development funding is critical for the Riverland.

The former federal minister for regional Australia, Catherine King, says projects which had received Regional Development Australia (RDA) grants will not be funded under the Coalition Government.

Local projects include the Renmark Town Centre revitalisation, the Swan Reach Town Hall redevelopment and the Pinnaroo Wetlands Walking Trail.

Mr Whetstone says the projects should be funded.

“I’m reasonably confident that I will see common sense prevail,” he said.

“At the moment there’s been a lot of argy-bargy forming a new government, there are issues about people finding their space and picking up the pieces from the previous government but I would like to think favourably that the Government of the day will honour their pledge and we can get on with regional development.”

Mr Whetstone says he has written to the Government to ensure the projects receive funding.

“I’m looking for clarification and I’m looking for answers so that we can get on with the job and to seek some assurances that some of the earlier funding will be honoured because … those funds are vital for the development of our region,” he said.

The Coalition says it will honour any projects which were signed before the change of government.

It says any non-contracted projects will have to be assessed.

It says the Labor Party “recklessly” announced the latest round of RDA funding, without assessing whether it could deliver the projects.