The Australian Government has committed $6.9 million for a Western Front Interpretive Centre at Villers-Bretonneux, in the first budget of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The budget saw wide-sweeping cuts across government departments, with the Department for Veterans’ Affairs being allocated over $12 billion in funding.
The Federal Budget for 2014-15 has committed $6.5 billion in pensions and income support and $5.4 billion in health services, with a particular emphasis on treating those returning from recent conflicts who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Acknowledging the Centenary of Anzac as “the most significant commemoration in our nation’s history”, the Department for Veterans’ Affairs said that the $6.9 million promised for a new Western Front Interpretive Centre at Villers-Bretonneux in France would be an “enduring legacy”.
The Villers-Bretonneux Australian National Memorial serves as a focal point for Australian remembrance on the Western Front. Unveiled by King George VI in 1938, the memorial bears the names of more than 10,000 men of the Australian Imperial Force.
Additional funding to support grass-roots Centenary commemorations was also secured in the budget. A further $125,000 per electorate will be made available under the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Programme.
Source: Department of Veterans’ Affairs press release
Date of press release publication: 13/05/2014
Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News