Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I turn to the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. This is a historic program. It is working with local government. We are looking at local priorities and responding to regional priorities, which local government and local representatives have their finger on. It is responding to those and it is funding those.

In my seat, I have five local governments: Ballina Shire Council, Clarence Valley Council, Kyogle Council, Lismore City Council and Richmond Valley Council. Under Community Infrastructure Program funding, we have a total of $4 million available for strategic projects. I have three of them, and one of them is in Evans Head. It is an aquatic centre. That is another project that the community worked for decades to get. No-one ever responded to it. They are now getting it. They raised money themselves. They are shovel-ready—ready to go. There is over $6 million.

Another project is Wherrett Park in Maclean. Maclean is actually in Cowper, the seat beside mine, but there is a border near Maclean and most of the people in Page access and use Maclean. There is over $2 million for the local sportsground there.

I will talk about some other projects in the seat of Page. The Grafton regional saleyards upgrade is a small investment, $125,000, but it makes a massive difference to an industry, our beef industry, that brings in lots of dollars to our local regional economy. This was an election commitment delivered in the first budget, the budget of 2008-09. When it was put to the National Party during the election that they should fund it, they said no. Can you imagine the National Party saying no to funding an upgrade to the saleyards for the beef industry? (Time expired)

See this speech in context