Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As I rise to reply to the address of the Governor-General, I would like to start by thanking the people of Ballarat for again re-electing me as their representative to this place. Ballarat is a large and diverse electorate. I am absolutely delighted to be elected to represent such a wonderful community. I really do want to thank the people of Ballarat for again putting their faith in me. Running a campaign in a regional electorate poses a number of challenges. I would also like to thank my campaign team, my staff, ALP members and the many supporters for their hard work during that period.

There were a number of important commitments and promises that the Rudd Labor government made to our electorate that are vital for our future economic and social growth. These have now been well and truly delivered in our first budget last night. During the campaign, we committed to fund Anthony’s Cutting under the AusLink 2 funding agreement. This is a significant road project which will cut transport times, ease infrastructure bottlenecks and, most importantly, greatly increase the safety of the many people who use this road. Upgrading that part of the highway will have tangible benefits for the region. These include a projected saving in transport costs of $186 million, increased tourist traffic estimated at up to $7.5 million annually and a reduction in the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities along this section of road. The state government have also in the recent state budget reiterated their financial commitment to the project. This comes on the back of our long-term support for the Deer Park bypass, a project which is well and truly ahead of schedule and is nearing completion. The funding for AusLink 2 is provided to commence in the 2009-10 year and I certainly look forward to seeing that in the budget next year.

Another important infrastructure project that we committed to was the goldfields superpipe which, in a responsible and sustainable way, will help to provide the Ballarat region with a steady and reliable source of water. The Rudd Labor government, prior to the budget, already provided the $90 million in funding to actually complete this very important project. Unfortunately, it was attacked during the election campaign by the former Liberal government, yet it is a very, very crucial step in ensuring the availability of water in my electorate—and I do not just mean continuing water supply or that we are topping up our water supply; our water supply is currently at around eight per cent. The availability of water in the entire goldfields region is extremely important.

I am pleased to report to the House that the laying of the actual pipeline has been completed—Senator Penny Wong came and laid the final pipe herself; it was her first time on a piece of heavy equipment, which was good fun—and that we are a long way towards the goal of water security in Ballarat, with the testing of the pumps about to get underway. Water really is the life blood of any community and, with our commitment to the goldfields superpipe, we have acted to secure the water supply for Ballarat.

In the area of community infrastructure, we committed to a number of important projects. We committed $400,000 to the Bacchus Marsh Community Learning Centre, which will include within it a state-of-the-art library, an IT lounge and a community meeting place. The centre will give the Bacchus Marsh community better access to information and digital technology, and it will become a hub for community activity within Bacchus Marsh.

Also in the area of adult education, we committed $200,000 to the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre, which provides fantastic courses for adults in areas like computers, languages and cooking. The funding will go towards a much needed expansion and modernisation of the centre. Trentham Neighbourhood Centre and places like this are important and often overlooked aspects of the education system which will drive the essential acquisition of new skills by our local communities. As well as these important roles, the learning centre in Bacchus Marsh and the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre will become hubs for community activity in Bacchus Marsh and Trentham, allowing people from all around the community to come together not just to learn but to meet and to socialise.

Also in Bacchus Marsh, we committed the $500,000 needed to maintain the Bacchus Marsh Avenue of Honour, an important project honouring the sacrifice and service of the community’s First World War soldiers. The avenue, if anyone has not seen it, is one of the finest and most magnificent elm tree lined avenues in the world, and it is a unique and important part of the town of Bacchus Marsh. The avenue is one of Bacchus Marsh’s most recognisable attractions, but it has been under pressure recently due to the ageing of the trees and obviously also because of the drought. We have acted to ensure that the avenue is maintained and will be restored to its magnificent best.

The Rudd Labor government also has made the commitment to funding the Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital, an important cog in the regional healthcare strategy and one in which I am very proud to be involved. Our government is committed to properly funding our hospitals and ending the blame game between the states and Commonwealth and improving healthcare delivery to rural and regional Australians. The $2 million we have provided will go towards providing much needed improvements to its facilities and to upgrade the facilities and the standard of care.

The government has also committed $1 million for the establishment of a GP superclinic in the township of Ballan, which will form a significant plank in the healthcare plan for the region. This funding is on top of the $400,000 regional medical infrastructure fund previously committed. Regional health care is a challenging policy area, and it requires a multifaceted approach. Distance, isolation and population dictate that a single hospital, however well resourced, is not enough to service a rural district. There needs to be a concerted effort from government to provide the full range, particularly of allied health services, that rural and regional areas require. The Rudd government has recognised this. Through initiatives such as the funding of the Ballan GP superclinic, we are acting to make sure that the people of rural and regional Australia have a good standard of health care, comparable to that received in the cities. They expect nothing more, and they deserve nothing less.

The Creswick visitor interpretive centre is an innovative initiative which we are also contributing $450,000 towards. Creswick is becoming more of a tourist attraction, with the advent of people moving to areas like Creswick for the lifestyle and its natural beauty. Just recently, we have had the opening of the Forest Resort, which is a five-star convention centre, hotel and resort in the township of Creswick. With new businesses such as these opening up, all from private investment, places like Creswick are becoming major tourist attractions in my district, and there is a need to focus and guide this tourist activity. Tourism is a very important part of the economy, and this information centre will help to facilitate expanded tourism in Creswick. Also, the facility will make sure that other businesses are getting a share of that tourism dollar.

We also committed $1.5 million towards the Ballarat Aquatic Centre. Health and physical fitness have become pressing concerns for both adults and children. Facilities like the aquatic centre are important places where the community can exercise in a safe, clean and well-managed environment. Exercise is not only a personal issue; it is a major public health imperative. We need to help build a society that places exercise and physical activity at the forefront of our health regime. The funding will expand a much-utilised facility in Ballarat and provide greater opportunities for participation in physical activity, particularly amongst our older residents.

We have also committed $100,000 to Ballarat Group Training, an important organisation addressing the skills shortages which have affected Ballarat as they have many other regions. Ballarat Group Training are providing a much needed space and forum for apprentices in Ballarat to come together and advise government and industry on issues specifically affecting them.

We have also delivered $300,000 to the Ballarat business incubator, an organisation that will help small businesses in Ballarat grow and prosper. Small business is really the lifeblood of a town such as Ballarat, and this funding will go a long way to making sure that small to medium enterprises, particularly those newly starting up in Ballarat, will have the help and the support they need to be established and to thrive.

There is a common thread that runs throughout all of these election commitments. These election commitments are all targeted at boosting the economic and social activity of our region, whether it be supporting tourism, securing our water supply, ensuring our freight and commuter task has access to improved infrastructure or increasing participation in physical activity. They are all about regional economic and social development. These are projects which have been supported by the people of our district, championed by them, and I am proud to be part of a government that is actively delivering on them. These projects are about improving the life of regional communities—

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