Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2007-2008 and related bills for the 2007-08 budget, a budget which has a surplus of $10.6 billion. I am proud to be part of a government which has delivered its 10th budget surplus and has cut tax for the fifth consecutive year. All Australian families will benefit from the $31.5 billion in tax cuts. I have to emphasise the point of one of the key aspects in the 2007-08 budget which affects my electorate, and that is the issue of road funding. The additional $73 million funded to continue stages 2 and 3 of the Karuah to Bulahdelah upgrade will be welcome not only to local residents but also to thousands of holiday-makers and transport drivers who use this stretch of road each year. The total cost of the 23-kilometre upgrade will be $262 million and will be completed by mid-2009.

The Howard government will also contribute $5.4 million in 2007-08 for preliminary work towards the 8.6 kilometre Bulahdelah bypass. When the bypass is complete, Bulahdelah will have a flyover to the north and a flyover to the south. This will be the missing link between Hexham and Port Macquarie once the Karuah to Bulahdelah and the Coopernook to Herons Creek upgrades are opened in 2009.

There are just over 1,000 people of driving age living in Bulahdelah, and the town is set to receive two bypasses, yet, just down the road in the Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest area, there are nearly 2½ thousand people over the age of 18—of driving age. When you add North Arm Cove there are another 327 who are over 18. The state government has again refused to fund the cost of a flyover on the Myall Way intersection on the Pacific Highway, which would benefit the people of the Tea Gardens area and motorists using the Pacific Highway.

The Howard government has not forgotten these people. In fact, when the Prime Minister came to my electorate last month, he promised $10 million towards the flyover for Tea Gardens and it was confirmed in the federal budget. Yet the flyover cannot go ahead without the contribution of funding or prioritisation from the state government of New South Wales. The New South Wales Minister for Roads, Mr Eric Roozendaal, has refused to acknowledge this flyover as a priority; in fact, he opposes it. In state parliament on Thursday, 10 May 2007, Mr Roozendaal told state parliament that he believes that ‘other more important parts of the Pacific Highway need upgrading’.

The New South Wales Labor government has again let down the people of the Hunter with the Weakley’s Drive project. Many people from my electorate use this section of road. Weakley’s Drive has become a pivotal point in the AusLink national land transport network. The project involves an overpass to take the New England Highway over Weakley’s Drive as well as a new link road connecting the interchange to Glenwood Drive between Thornton and Beresfield. Together with the link road, the new interchange will eliminate three intersections on the New England Highway controlled by traffic signals.

Two years ago, the federal government gave $3 million out of $25 million in project funding for Weakley’s Drive. At the time the member for Hunter complained that was not enough. You can imagine his embarrassment when it was discovered that it was all the RTA had actually asked for. Last year the RTA only asked for $10 million, so of course that was not enough for the project to be completed. In fact, the RTA failed to conduct appropriate planning for this flyover to be built at the end of the F3 freeway where it connects to the New England Highway. So we, the federal government, have had to come to the rescue of the state Labor government and the RTA, and we have agreed to fund the entire $51.8 million for this interchange. The federal government has had to pick up the financial mess of the state Labor government. The cost has blown out from $12 million to $52 million. Interestingly, the contract that has been let to the works only amounts to $30 million, so $22 million has been pocketed by the state government in planning and contingency sums.

I am proud to announce that I have secured over $2 million from the federal budget through the AusLink strategic regional program for roads in my electorate. The Australian government is spending an additional $250 million in 2006-07 on this program. The Gloucester Shire Council will benefit from this funding. Over $500,000 will be spent on the Bucketts Way for a bridge replacement at Broad Gully, $850,000 will be spent on the Bucketts Way for road rehabilitation at Deep Creek and $640,000 will also be spent on the Bucketts Way for road rehabilitation at Krambach. The Australian government is funding the entire cost of each of these projects on the Bucketts Way. But enough is enough. I now call on the New South Wales state Labor government to put some money on the table for the Bucketts Way. The Iemma government is too busy focusing on spending billions of dollars in Sydney on tollways and tunnels, and is spending nothing on the Bucketts Way or other local regional roads.

The reality is that people are dying on the roads in the bush, and we need to do something about it. Last year, a man and two women were seriously injured in a two-car collision at Gloucester. The 19-year-old man was a passenger in a Nissan sedan travelling west on the Bucketts Way at Belbora which collided with another car on Sunday, 23 July. As the local federal member, I will continue to fight for funding for the Bucketts Way. We have come a long way over the last four years, but I will not stop until we see passing lanes introduced on this road—passing lanes that will save lives. After many discussions with the local mayor, Barry Ryan, I know that this road will continue to be dangerous until these passing lanes are created. Last year in the federal budget the council received $350,000 in additional Roads to Recovery funding and, on 17 May last year, Mayor Barry Ryan told the Gloucester Advocate:

It’s a fairy god mother’s wish, Santa Claus’s present and the tooth fairy too.

He noted on our program:

Roads to Recovery has to be the best lot of financial assistance given to local government in all my years on council.

The federal Labor Party would never have come up with the Roads to Recovery program like this government has. In fact, I take the opportunity to remind the House that it was the federal Labor government that abolished the black spot road funding.

The government will also invest an extra $300 million in the AusLink strategic regional program under AusLink 2, which means councils will be able to submit new applications. In the Paterson electorate, this means that the Port Stephens, Dungog, Great Lakes, Gloucester and Maitland councils will have the security of knowing funding will continue. They can be assured that they can plan for roads and have a guaranteed income stream. The money for roads just keeps on flowing. The Roads to Recovery program was scheduled to finish in June 2009. The Australian government will now extend the program until June 2014. Funding will also be increased from $307.5 million a year to $350 million a year from 2009-10. This is road funding put into local roads that should be primarily the responsibility of the New South Wales government. We are doing the right thing putting money into these roads, expecting the state government to match it at least fifty-fifty.

There are other initiatives announced in the budget which will benefit my electorate. I welcome the Australian government’s initiative to give all first- and second-year apprentices under 30 a tax-free $1,000 wage top-up to boost their apprenticeship wages in trades facing skill shortages. Apprentices will also receive up to $500 each year, without an age restriction, towards their TAFE or other training fees. I understand that the first and second year of apprenticeships can be particularly tough for those entering the workforce for the first time. Up to 2,600 apprentices in Paterson may benefit from this wage top-up. Increasing the take home pay of apprentices means that young men and women will be better placed to pursue their career in a trade. These measures, which commence on 1 July 2007, are part of initiatives to further tackle Australia’s skill shortages and will increase the government’s commitment to skills training to $2.9 billion a year.

I am also pleased to see funding for RAAF Base Williamtown in the federal budget. There is $13.7 million allocated for construction of ordnance loading aprons. This project has provided a range of new and redeveloped facilities and infrastructure necessary to upgrade the base and necessary for the introduction into services of the airborne early warning and control capability at RAAF Base Williamtown. The remaining project element, construction of an ordnance loading complex, will commence in mid 2007, with completion anticipated by mid 2008. Overall, Defence facilities will benefit from an injection totalling some $916.9 million in 2007-08.

Defence families form an integral part of the Paterson community, which has a strong Defence presence centred on RAAF Base Williamtown. The current military population of the electorate includes over 3,000 ADF members, Defence civilians and ADF cadets. As part of an ongoing commitment to supporting and valuing our Australian Defence Force personnel and their families, the following improvements will be introduced: a modern and more flexible pay structure for other ranks; new home loans assistance packages, with higher subsidies and greater choice, to encourage homeownership and provide for higher benefits as members serve for longer periods; the creation of a transition and career advice function within Defence Force Recruiting to assist those who might be considering alternative careers; investment in professional development of Defence medical officers; better marketing to showcase Navy, Army and Air Force as employers of choice; and the introduction of new Defence apprenticeship schemes to assist 16- to 17-year-olds commence an apprenticeship and then join the ADF. It has been a privilege to serve the people of RAAF Base Williamtown as their local member on and off for the past 11 years. These are people for whom I hold the highest esteem. These are the people who go overseas to defend not only the freedoms of this nation but the democracies of others.

Our strong economy means that we as a government are able to provide additional measures in the budget to support our war veterans, and I welcome these. They include increasing payments to veterans with a disability on the special rate pension by $50 a fortnight and increasing payments to those on the intermediate rate pension by $25 a fortnight, and increasing access to support services for eligible veterans when they leave hospital. After referral from a GP, community pharmacies will provide veterans with written medication management plans and additional medication management strategies. The measures also include doubling the funeral benefit paid under the Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 from $1,000 to $2,000 and an extra three months for war widows and widowers to claim war widow/widowers pensions.

In Paterson, around 4,119 people from my electorate will benefit from this government’s superannuation co-contribution scheme. Low- and middle-income earners in Paterson will receive up to $3,000 from the Howard government as a superannuation co-contribution for personal contributions of up to $1,000 made in the 2005-06 financial year. Under the superannuation co-contribution scheme, the government contributes $1.50 for every $1 of after tax superannuation contributions made by employees earning up to $28,000, up to a maximum co-contribution of $1,500 per year. To reward people for preparing for their own future, the Treasurer announced as a part of the 2007-08 federal budget that the government will pay an additional one-off sum to double the contribution in respect of the 2005-06 year. This means an eligible person who contributed $1,000 during the 2005-06 year will receive a co-contribution of up to $3,000 from the federal government for that year. That will be paid before 30 June this year. This is practical help for low- and middle-income earners in Paterson by directly boosting their retirement savings.

Around 25,000 people in my electorate will also benefit from contributions made to older Australians in this budget. These include no tax on incomes up to $25,867 for singles or up to $43,360 for couples for those eligible for the senior Australian tax offset and a one-off $500 bonus to seniors concession card holders or those receiving the utilities allowances. Both eligible members of a couple will receive this bonus. There will be a one-off $1,000 bonus to those receiving the carers payment and a one-off $600 bonus for those receiving the carers allowance to recognise their dedication in helping those who suffer from a disability. There will also be better access to hearing services for 350,000 hearing impaired Australians through a $70.7 million investment and additional community care packages to assist older Australians who want to continue living at home, as well as more community based respite care. There is also a $377.6 million package to increase access to dental health services for over 200,000 patients. This will provide help for those with a chronic medical condition. A Medicare benefit of up to $2,125 per year will be made available for their dental treatment in the private sector when they are referred by a doctor.

Finally, I wish to talk about the volunteers in our community. The Volunteer Small Equipment Grants program is one of the most popular programs under the government’s Stronger Families and Community Strategy. In the last round my electorate received a large chunk of the funding available. Grants were provided, for example, for gardening, land care tools, equipment for Forster Keys Progress and Ratepayers Association; kitchen utensils, equipment, microwaves and urns for Pacific Palms Surf Life Saving Club; computer and overhead projectors for the Great Lakes Environment Association; new audio equipment for Great Lakes FM; computer software for the Great Lakes Arts Society; a new PA system for Nelson Bay Town Management; computers for Medowie Public School; ride-on mowers for Nelson Bay Junior Cricket Club; cameras for Port Stephens Historical Society; air conditioners for Irrawang Public School; chairs for Medowie Rural Fire Brigade; computers for Karuah Progress Association; new cupboards for the Myall Coast Historical Society; laptop computers for Tea Gardens RSL sub-branch; barbecues, digital cameras and accessories for the North Arm Cove rural fire services. These volunteers in my community deserve recognition.

The $66 million boost announced in the federal budget takes to $81.1 million the total funding available under Volunteer Small Equipment Grants over this and the next four years, and demonstrates a commitment by the Howard government to the volunteer organisations across Australia. I say, with reference to a speech I gave this morning, that there is no bias—we do not exclude seats that are held by Labor members, as Premier Iemma did to those with volunteer certificates who happened to come from non-Labor held seats in New South Wales.

All of the funding to my electorate in the federal budget will no doubt benefit a region which is thriving. Tourism levels have been boosted. Last year there were 3,113,000 overnight domestic trips to the north coast region, which encompassed Port Stephens, which is up 3.4 per cent compared with the previous year. Visitors are spending more. Last year domestic visitors’ expenditure in the north coast region increased almost 15 per cent to $1.497 million. There was also an increase in day trips to the north coast area last year—3,426,000 day trips were made to the region, an increase of 15.4 per cent since 2005. Again, visitors are spending more, with an increase in expenditure of 17.2 per cent to $354 million in 2006. There are more international visitors visiting our region, an increase of some 8.4 per cent last year to 154,000 people.

But of course Port Stephens is host to some very special visitors each year, and those special visitors are the whales. Right now the first humpback whale sightings are occurring around Port Stephens in places such as Tomaree, Fisherman’s Bay and Stockton beach. According to a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Port Stephens is one of the world’s premier whale spotting locations. An advantage for Port Stephens is the extensive range of vessels that conduct whale watching cruises and the close proximity of the whales to the foreshore, as we are one of the most easterly point in New South Wales. The whales and dolphins attract thousands of visitors to Port Stephens each year, and of course that brings millions of dollars in tourism revenue each year. Local tourism operators in Port Stephens like Moonshadow Cruises, Imagine and MV Spirit are thriving from the boost in tourist numbers. These local charter boats take groups of people out into the blue waters for a close encounter with the whales. This year I am honoured to have been asked to officially launch the start of the whale watching season which will take place this Friday on the Nelson Bay foreshore. It is a major drawcard for tourism in my region. I have every bit of confidence that the increase in visitor numbers is because of the good work of this federal government.

The Howard government is supporting growth in regional Australia. The federal budget has just committed an additional $34.9 million over four years to extend and enhance the Australian Tourism Development Program. In my electorate this government is building better roads, promoting better education and training, recognising volunteers, rewarding Defence Force personnel and paying tribute to war veterans, encouraging superannuation schemes and encouraging apprentices. This federal budget has delivered tax cuts to families and is taking steps to providing better medical services. We have done this. We can do this because we made the tough decisions very early in the piece. We started making the tough decisions 11 years ago when we were left with a $96 billion deficit, high unemployment, high interest rates. With the progress of the last 11 years we have been able to achieve benefits for all Australians. We are able to make these contributions back to the taxpayers of Australia because we have done the hard yards and now we can lock in the benefits. Once again, I am proud to be a part of this government and I look forward to seeing further funding for my electorate so I can watch my electorate grow and prosper into the one that everybody wants to move into.

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