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

I thank the honourable member for Indi for her question. It gives me an opportunity to talk about some of the wonderful initiatives in last night's budget for regional Australia which benefit the electorate of Indi, along with other electorates right around the country.

They are outlined in detail, as the honourable member said, in this Partnership for Regional Growth document, which delivers a comprehensive statement across all portfolios of the sorts of things that are going to be of particular benefit to regional Australia. Things such as the matters just referred to by the Prime Minister—reductions in tax for small businesses across the nation. Many of those are in electorates like Indi and, indeed, other regional electorates across the nation. There is $3.25 billion for income tax cuts for small business and $1.75 billion in accelerated depreciation measures. We all know that small business is so important in driving our national economy. This will help them on the way to keep more of their own money and therefore enable them to be able to invest with confidence in the future of our country. It will be the lowest company tax rate small businesses have paid since 1967. So that is going to be a huge benefit to the people of Indi and indeed in other places.

In my own portfolio, the $50 billion investment in roads and transport infrastructure will also be a huge benefit for people who live in regional Australia. The Melbourne to Brisbane railway line receives $100 million in this budget, and it will pass through the electorate of Indi. Councils around Australia, instead of getting $350 million for Roads to Recovery will get $700 million, and that includes $14.6 million for the nine councils in the electorate of Indi—real money for them to spend on their local roads and streets as required. And, of course, the Black Spot Program, the Bridges Renewal Program and the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program are all reinvested in in this budget.

The honourable member also referred to the fact that 51 projects in round one of the National Stronger Regions Fund were announced last night and that three of those are in her electorate: one in Bright, one in Wahgunyah and one in Wodonga. The city heart will be redeveloped in Wodonga and there will be an alpine events centre built in Bright—important projects to help boost the economies of depressed areas in regional Australia. These are significant projects. We are also funding the Bonegilla boardwalk and bike track, which was a commitment that we made at the last election and which we are honouring even though the seat was not won by a coalition member. We are honouring the commitment which we made in sincerity. This is a budget that delivers for regional Australia; that delivers great results and—(Time expired)

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