Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in strong support of the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2009-2010 and cognate bills before this chamber. This is a budget that firmly concentrates on nation building and, by investing in infrastructure such as roads, rail, clean energy, ports and a national broadband network, this budget helps stimulate our economy and helps protect Australia from the full effects of the global recession.

At the 2007 election the Australian Labor Party made a commitment to the people of Deakin. It committed to wake commuters up from the traffic nightmare and do something about the nightmare that was Springvale Road. We have heard a bit about Springvale Road today, being one of the projects that was mentioned in a debate in a nation-building bill before the House just before question time. However, that commitment was not there and was not met by the opposition, because what we saw was an amendment that would have stripped away funding to that project. For a project that was campaigned upon by the Liberal Party for 12 years, to see that come up in the House today was truly surprising.

The 2009-10 budget commits $76.5 million through that program to fix the Springvale Road rail crossing, well known in Melbourne to not only locals, but also those who live for miles around as the worst intersection in town and rated, year after year, by the RACV as the worst red spot—that is, congestion spot—in Melbourne for traffic. I will get back to that one a bit later. In the first term of government, to be able to stand here and say there has been not only a commitment, but also dollars put up for a project that those on the other side could only ever talk about and never actually deliver—not working with the state government, promising half the funds but not being able to do anything—we have changed that now. We now have a state government on board, an announcement and real funding and tenders let on the job, so that things can actually happen, so the project can start and so that commuters and road users will benefit from this project by early 2010.

I and many others that I know who live out in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne have lobbied for this project year after year after year. It is really a great thing that it takes a Rudd Labor government to ensure that it happens. Of course, state members did a lot of work too and lobbied year after year to get this funding in place. I cannot let go by the contribution of both the state member for Mitcham, Tony Robinson, and the state member for Forest Hill, Kirstie Marshall. They have worked long and hard and lobbied long and hard to get this funding in the state budget, and to have it match up with and come through at the same time as the federal contribution is a fantastic result for local people.

This project also provides a new railway station for Nunawading and we will see the railway line lowered to go underneath the road along with the provision of space for a future third line. There are also new car parks to go in place and new spaces that will be put in for pedestrian access across Springvale Road.

Debate interrupted.

See this speech in context