Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Page for her question. On 8 April I was with the member for Page turning the first sod on the Alstonville bypass. This is a $90 million investment supporting up to 140 jobs. It followed what happened last year, when work began on the Ballina bypass—a $446 million project, where 361 Australians are working right now, today. Jobs are being created today in building the infrastructure that will benefit the New South Wales North Coast in the future.

But it is not just in the electorate of Page. This is a government that supports investment in regional Australia regardless of the electorate. In Cowper, just south of Page, the Rudd government is investing a record $1.15 billion on the Pacific Highway—in that electorate alone. This includes the Kempsey bypass, which was announced in the budget—450 direct jobs in Cowper for this $618 million project. It includes $54 million on the Glenugie upgrade. It includes the duplication of the Pacific Highway between Sapphire and Woolgoolga—$460 million.

Now, that is $1.15 billion in one electorate held by the National Party. What did the former government spend on the Pacific Highway in 12 years in office? They spent $1.3 billion on the whole thing in 12 years. We are spending almost that in one electorate held by the National Party as part of our Nation Building Program—as part of our $3.1 billion investment in the Pacific Highway.

I have been asked about how this has been received by the community. It has been received very well. The Macleay Argus said:

$618 mil for our bypass.

It is great news for Kempsey in the federal budget. If you go inside the paper, the headlines included, ‘500 jobs in highway project,’ and outlined the details of what this project of nation building will be on the New South Wales North Coast.

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