Safe seats, starved of funding: why rural voters lose out to politics
Rural seats get less than one-third the funding of marginal seats, leaving rural voters short on services.
When a government wants to win an election, it spends money where votes are up for grabs, mostly in cities. Rural Australia is full of safe seats where the government either wins easily or will never win.
There's no political reason to spend there. The result: rural Australians lose out on healthcare, education, roads and services, no matter which party is in power.
A 2018 study proved it. Marginal electorates get funding at three times the rate of safe seats.
In rural Victoria and Queensland, many seats are held by the Coalition or independents with huge margins, making them politically safe and cash-starved.
- 2 million dollars
- Mildura hospital study cost
- 2021
- Study year
- November 28
- Victoria election date
Why it mattersVoters in safe seats get worse schools, hospitals and services because spending decisions are driven by electoral math, not community need.
AustraliaRural communities across Queensland and Victoria receive significantly less public funding than metro areas, widening the gap in essential services.
