Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to be able to speak this morning about three grants that I have announced in my electorate as part of the Turnbull government's Stronger Communities Program. Since we just heard a massive speech about class warfare, which went out in about the sixties, I would like those on the opposite side to know that these are lower-SES areas that these grants are going to.

We see the former Treasurer leaving. He did nothing about the things his speech was about, for six years. He sat in his chair, promising surpluses but never delivering them—not one surplus! And then he sits here and talks about class warfare. He did nothing about it for six years. He sat on his backside for six years and did nothing—absolutely nothing—and now he stands up here and complains about it.

Anyway, as you would know, Mr Deputy Speaker Cobb, there are always club changing rooms and kitchens that are in need of upgrading around everyone's electorates, but the cost can often be prohibitive to what are essentially small, not-for-profit, volunteer organisations. I am sure there are people in this place who played sport, and when we were younger there were many changing rooms that we visited over the years, and I can remember visiting a changing room in Olinda in Victoria where there were no hot water facilities, and during that particular day there was extremely bad, icy weather—there were hailstones the size of golf balls coming down—but those facilities were an abject failure and we ended up leaving and going back to our own clubrooms. But the Stronger Communities Program makes these upgrades possible, with the Commonwealth providing up to 50 per cent of the cost for small-scale infrastructure upgrades, to a maximum of $20,000.

The clubs and the not-for-profits in my electorate think the program is fabulous and have been submitting expressions of interest. Local councils are also able to apply, for facilities that they manage. One of the great things about the Stronger Communities Program is the opportunity for involvement of local members of parliament at the expression-of-interest stage before the applications to go to the department of infrastructure. The feedback I have had is that all members of parliament, from both sides of the House, have participated in this program.

In Swan, we have been very active in promoting it and making sure that as many clubs and not-for-profits as possible are aware of the opportunity. In round 1 there was a great response, and we generated dozens of expressions of interest from across the electorate for worthwhile projects.

The three successful projects we are announcing are: two in Belmont—which is a really low-SES area in my electorate—one being $20,000 for the City of Belmont Miles Park playground, the other is $20,000 for the City of Belmont upgrade of cricket nets; and in Karawara, which is another low-SES area and part of the City of South Perth, where we have $20,000 approved for the purchase and installation of a shade structure at the Manning Skate Park.

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