Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to bring the attention of the House to an issue of concern in the electorate of Gippsland in relation to a media release issued by the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport headlined ‘Funds re-profiled to assist with flood recovery’. In the media release the minister announces that $20 million of the Princes Highway East (Traralgon to Sale) project will be ‘re-profiled in light of the revised construction timetable brought about by the restrictions placed on the project under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act’. This is a $175 million project, and I know that the people of Gippsland will be disappointed but will understand in this case the minister’s need to reprofile this funding having regard to the national effort to rebuild infrastructure related to the flood disasters, particularly in Queensland and northern Victoria. As I said, it will be an issue of concern for the people of Gippsland, but I think in the circumstances they will be very reasonable and will understand, given their own experiences of natural disasters and the support they have received in the past.

Having said that, I have written to the minister today seeking some assurances and further information about the project. Given that this project has enjoyed bipartisan support dating back to prior to the 2007 election—both sides of the House have made some significant policy commitments to the Princes Highway East duplication work—I have sought some assurances from the minister’s office to make sure my community is properly informed, particularly about what these environmental issues are and what the reprofiling actually means in terms of the current timetable. As the minister is well aware, the first stage of the Princes Highway East project is part of a much larger duplication project, which is estimated to cost in the order of $500 million. It is certainly important from a road safety perspective and also for productivity in the broader Gippsland region.

When I say ‘productivity’ I am referring, of course, to the movement particularly of agricultural products in and out of our region but also to bringing the Gippsland region closer to the eastern suburbs growth corridor of Melbourne and bringing the beaches and lakes of our region closer from a tourism perspective. Reducing the travel time for people moving through the region is very important for us in terms of promoting our industries. The project has certainly received support in the past from both sides of this House and I hope that will continue. I have had the opportunity to speak publicly about this $20 million deferral and I have made it clear to the people of Gippsland that I understand the circumstances and I am looking forward to working with the federal minister and the new state minister, Terry Mulder, to ensure that future funding is forthcoming for the project.

Beyond the duplication project between Traralgon and Sale, the need remains for funding more generally for the Princes Highway east of Sale, which has one of the worst accident rates in regional Victoria. I will be working very closely with the newly elected state member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, as a partnership to ensure that both the state and federal governments make further commitments to ensuring the safety of motorists, locals and tourists, travelling in Gippsland. (Time expired)

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