Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

The Intergenerational report makes it clear that as a nation we will have a larger population and a bigger economy, and therefore we will need to invest substantially in providing the infrastructure to support a bigger nation—a nation that is contributing more internationally and providing a better lifestyle for the people of the country. Indeed, the report identifies infrastructure investment as absolutely critical to our economic future. That is why this government's $50 billion investment in infrastructure is so timely and so important for the future. It is important to this generation because it is creating jobs. It is creating economic activity now. But it builds the basic lifelines that will be so essential to underpin our economy in 40 years time. What we are doing now is therefore an investment in the future. It helps build our nation now, but it is also an investment in the future.

I guess there is no area where this is more important than in Western Sydney, where a large proportion of our nation's growth will actually occur. The forecasts are that there will be substantial population growth in Western Sydney. That is an area that is going to need significant infrastructure investment, and our $3-plus billion package for Western Sydney will help provide some of that vital infrastructure to support the growth in that region. Not only will we be building new roads and other important infrastructure of that nature—such as the new airport—this will be an area that will be a real part of the life and breadth of the new Sydney. That is work that we are undertaking now. Eight thousand people will be engaged on the roadworks project that we have committed to for that region. This is an investment in Western Sydney. It is an investment in providing infrastructure for today. It creates jobs and economic growth today, but it is also an investment in the future of that region, to ensure that it will have a lifestyle befitting its population and will contribute to the nation as a part of our intergenerational growth.

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