Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the AusLink (National Land Transport) Amendment Bill 2008. I am proud to be a part of a government that is working with councils to deliver safer roads in my electorate of Wakefield. I have a very good relationship with the councils in my electorate. They form the Wakefield Group of councils, which covers all the councils from Salisbury to Clare. It is good to have feedback from them on many different issues, including roads.

This bill fulfils two important needs. First, it represents an increase in funding for local roads in Wakefield and across the country. Second, it ensures that facilities for heavy vehicles—the trucks and B-doubles that pass through Wakefield each day—will be funded. It goes without saying that roads are an essential part of our economic and social infrastructure. Transport corridors for both industry and commuters are central to our economy and our society.

With this bill, the government will secure the Roads to Recovery program for another five years, delivering $1.75 billion in new money to improve the safety and condition of local roads. Importantly, this legislation ensures that funds can be allocated under the Roads to Recovery program for use in a particular state while the most appropriate entity to receive the funding is being determined. Local roads are critical for efficient and safe freight movements because often the last kilometre from highway to port is a local government controlled road, and that is true across the country. Local governments are responsible for more than three-quarters of all Australian roads. The continuation of the Roads to Recovery program means that local governments can confidently plan for continued improvements of those road networks.

If this bill is passed, councils in my electorate of Wakefield will receive over $2 million for urgent safety upgrades and repairs. That includes almost $1 million for the City of Salisbury alone. As a resident of that great city, I think it is a terrific contribution from the federal government. Local residents are always petitioning me on local roads. One of those roads is Main North Road between Clare and Gawler, a road that is currently being upgraded with federal funds in partnership with the Light Regional Council. Another road that comes to mind is the Kapunda to Tralee road, which is a state road but is a road that residents continually petition me about and one which I continually bring up with the state government. It is a road that, in my opinion, could do with a bit of attention. These moneys from the government are in addition to money received under financial assistance grants, ensuring that the people of Wakefield can have good local roads that do not come at the expense of other parts of the councils’ budgets—the maintenance of decent libraries and parks and other essential services.

As I said, this legislation does more than just fund local roads in places like Wakefield. It also provides for the effective implementation of the heavy vehicle safety and productivity package. This bill amends the definition of a road so that it includes heavy vehicle facilities such as rest stops, parking bays, decoupling facilities and electronic monitoring systems. This change to the definition will enable the government to provide funding of $70 million for these essential transport facilities. Not only will this ensure that our infrastructure is up to scratch, encouraging more economic activity, but it also has great potential to reduce fatalities on our roads.

One in five road deaths involves heavy vehicles, with speed and fatigue often being contributing factors. In 2007, there were over 200 road deaths in Australia involving heavy vehicles. This week the Advertiser reported on a tragic series of accidents under the headline ‘The night of ruined lives’, with the subheadline ‘Four die in 40 minutes’. The picture in this article was of an accident on the Dukes Highway at Ki Ki in the south-east.

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