Free fuel and taxis for WA rural pensioners
The West Australian government is to give rural pensioners a big travel bonus by providing $500 fuel cards for the state’s 35,000 elderly country residents to pay for petrol or taxis.
The Australia-first scheme follows the establishment of the Royalties for Regions fund after the National Party agreed to support the Liberal Party and form government after the last September election.
The Nationals leader, Brendon Grylls, told The Australian newspaper, the free fuel would assist the quality of life in country towns in West Australia and the committed $80 million over four years, would be increased if self-funded retirees were forced on to part-pensions because of the global financial crisis.
Mr Grylls said “it was challenging to bring it in and we will be under enormous scrutiny going forward, but it is very important to us because it quantifies what the Nationals have been able to achieve from the power sharing arrangement in government”.
Retired Albany farmer, Bill Pride, 78, said the free fuel would enable him and his wife to visit their children and grandchildren more often.
“We think twice now about seeing our grandchildren in Perth and even going down to one of their school functions. This will make it a lot easier and also help with medical trips,” he said.
