Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today, I rise to share with the House some of the activities that have been happening within the Shortland electorate. Never in the time that I have been a member of a parliament have I seen a government invest so much in the electorate that I represent. The government’s nation building and economic stimulus package has been a real benefit to the people of Shortland. During the last 12 months there has been a total of $89,023,255 spent or allocated to be spent on the Building the Education Revolution. This includes refurbishment of the schools in the electorate, including school facilities, pupil amenities, fencing, shade structures, play areas, school halls, libraries and school repairs—just to name a few things.

The Rudd government is providing an unprecedented amount of funding to schools around Australia and I feel privileged to be part of it. Building the Education Revolution has provided much needed investment for our local schools. When I contact my local schools, principal after principal say to me that this is the greatest thing that has happened to education in his or her lifetime.

On 21 August I attended Mount Hutton Primary School to take part in a sod turning ceremony to begin work on their multipurpose hall. Members of the school community, the staff and the students were present. The students told me just how important this school multipurpose hall would be for them and how they had been seeking to have a multipurpose hall for years. They told me what a difference it would make to their school. I am really pleased to have been part of that sod turning. I actually gave to the school the spade that was used for that sod turning. From now on I am giving a spade to each of the schools when I turn the sods. On 21 September I attended Marks Point School and we did a similar thing there. We had representatives from all those groups that were involved in the project as well as the school.

The BER is a fantastic program that is putting money into our school communities, providing amenities for our schools and creating jobs at the same time. It is keeping the economy moving and investing in the building and construction industry that is always the hardest hit in times of economic downturn.

In addition to the money that is being spent on the schools there has also been money allocated to black spots programs, and $580,000 has been allocated to four black spots programs within the Shortland electorate. These areas were quite dangerous and the money is being used to make our roads safer and to protect the people of the community.

There have been three community infrastructure projects totalling $1,676,000 in the Shortland electorate. At Lake Macquarie there is a shared biking and walking pathway in Eleebana that is costing over $1 million, and there are two cycleways in the Wyong part of the Shortland electorate. They are worthwhile projects, creating jobs in local communities.

There is money being spent on social housing. There is the national rental initiative. Money is being spent in the electorate of Shortland. The Energy Efficient Homes package is delivering for the people of Shortland. In addition to that, there has been money allocated through the better facility program for TAFEs. Belmont has struggled for a long time to have investment in that college. These are great investments in the Shortland electorate—investments that are needed and investments that are appreciated by the community which I represent in this parliament.

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