Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the Infrastructure Australia Amendment (Cost Benefit Analysis and Other Measures) Bill 2014. The coalition is committed to building the infrastructure of the 21st century and is ensuring that this nation has the productive infrastructure that it needs to meet the challenges ahead.

Nowhere is this clearer than in Western Sydney, which has a population of some two million people and is one of the fastest-growing regions in our country. The federal government, under the leadership of the infrastructure Prime Minister, has made considerable investments in the infrastructure across our region. Successive state and federal Labor governments have failed the people of Western Sydney through a lack of vision for the future of our region. We need to unleash our potential and ensure that Western Sydney is the economic powerhouse that it deserves to be. In fact, Western Sydney is our nation's third-largest city. We from Western Sydney believe in our region and, finally, we now have a Prime Minister, a cabinet, a Premier, and state and federal governments that too believe in us.

I support this amendment bill as it will ensure the projects in Western Sydney will be delivered effectively and efficiently under the guidance of Infrastructure Australia. By way of background, Infrastructure Australia is a statutory authority and its role is to plan and coordinate projects across Australia. It was established by the former Rudd government in 2008 and it was designed to take the politics out of infrastructure investment. Infrastructure Australia is regarded as a good policy decision; however—unsurprisingly, like so many of the initiatives of the former government—it has been poorly implemented.

Under its previous structure, state governments considered Infrastructure Australia to be a political institution because the coordinator was a direct appointment of the federal minister. As a result, state governments disengaged with Infrastructure Australia, which undermined its purpose and overarching goals. To rectify this concern, the government has changed the legislation so Infrastructure Australia has an independent board who appoints a CEO. This is just the first step in meeting our election commitment to create a strong, independent and transparent Infrastructure Australia. I am pleased to note that these new arrangements came into effect on 1 September, and I congratulate the Deputy Prime Minister for moving so quickly to implement this. In introducing this amendment bill, the Deputy Prime Minister has not only strengthened the independence of Infrastructure Australia but also entrenched its role as a key adviser to the government.

The parliament must reach a consensus. Infrastructure Australia needs to move away from assessing lists based on already announced priorities and focus strategically on Australia's future infrastructure needs. Quite simply, Infrastructure Australia should inform decisions rather than play catch-up. Therefore, upon being elected, the government immediately tasked Infrastructure Australia with three key priorities: firstly, undertake an audit of nationally significant infrastructure; secondly, develop a 15-year plan on infrastructure priorities; and, finally, assess projects receiving government funding of $100 million or more.

This bill cements these key priorities. It also goes one step further by ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of infrastructure across Australia by requiring Infrastructure Australia to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on a project before it can appear on a priority list. This move alone will create greater transparency, informing the public of how decisions are being made by government and ensuring that the taxpayer is getting the best value for money.

Further, the cost-benefit analysis will significantly enhance Infrastructure Australia's capability to provide strategic independent advice on the needs of our local communities directly to federal and state government as well as private investors. This means more informed decision making by the government and better outcomes for our local communities. For instance, the government this year ended 40 years of indecision by deciding to build a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek. The Prime Minister and cabinet did not just decide to build the airport; they have also put $3.5 billion into an infrastructure plan across Greater Western Sydney. They have worked in a collaborative way with the New South Wales state government to put in place this fully costed plan.

Finally we have a government which understands the challenges that come with growth in our suburban communities and is delivering the infrastructure that will support our growth today but also into the future. The government has also developed a comprehensive infrastructure plan that will include new infrastructure like WestConnex and NorthConnex; the upgrade of existing roads like Northern Road, Bringelly Road and Elizabeth Drive; and, finally, the reservation of corridors where future infrastructure will be required in the long term. This multifaceted approach will unlock economic capacity and potential by creating Sydney road networks. It will slash travel times for motorists and ease congestion.

Like Western Sydney, Australia's future growth will be significantly influenced by our capacity to deliver more appropriate, efficient and effective infrastructure and transport. Investment in significant infrastructure is central to growing productivity and improving the living standards of Australians now in the future.

In my electorate of Lindsay, two-thirds of the workforce must commute every single day for work—one-third all the way into the city and one-third into Greater Western Sydney. This $3.5 billion of infrastructure will link so many of our business parks, which is sure to create more jobs locally, get more people off our roads and keep more people within our region.

The Australian and New South Wales governments are also steaming ahead with delivering world-class infrastructure right across Sydney, starting with the geotechnical investigations on the tunnel sections of the WestConnex stage 1 project. The east corridor commenced last week. This is an important milestone in the delivery of WestConnex which will, when it is completed in 2023, provide more than $20 billion in economic benefits to New South Wales, create 10,000 jobs, and help motorists bypass up to 52 sets of traffic lights.

The reforms to Infrastructure Australia will ensure the Nepean Valley, Western Sydney and communities right across Australia will benefit from investment in high-quality, efficient and cost-effective infrastructure. This will be achieved through Infrastructure Australia conducting rigorous and sound planning to identify quality projects and avoid wasteful investment. Let us be clear: Infrastructure Australia will not—

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