Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is the start of another sitting week, the final one of 2016, and here we are today talking about yet another Turnbull government commitment, with a program which is improving the lives of people in regional, rural and remote Australia. The Turnbull government is committed to building better regions, and the National Stronger Regions Fund, or NSRF, was established upon this government being elected some three years ago. NSRF plays a vital role in driving economic development, and it complements other government policies such as the $50 billion infrastructure plan, which is driving jobs and economic growth throughout regional Western Australia and, more broadly, around Australia.

But we know that those on the other side do not care about regional Australia, so I might just talk slowly so that they might learn a thing or two as I continue with my speech today. NSRF was an election commitment of the coalition in 2013 and has had a profound impact on regional Australia, particularly after the six years of abandonment by those opposite. The program has delivered over $66 million worth of projects across WA, including grants for the Karratha Arts and Community Precinct and the restoration of the Victoria Hotel in Roebourne. The third round of NSRF will deliver over $18 million worth of projects in WA and over $126 million nationally.

In my electorate of Durack, I announced that a number of projects will be delivered across the electorate and supported by the NSRF. The first one I want to talk about is in the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley, which has received $5 million for the redevelopment of the Derby Airport, which will lead to the recommencement of the regular passenger transport service and the construction of a tourism air lounge to enhance tourism in the region. This funding goes to the heart of what the program is designed to deliver, improving regional communities, as I said, with the redevelopment leading to the resumption of commercial flights to and from Derby. This is indeed good news for that town and that region.

Also in the Kimberley, the Kununurra Bushmen's Rodeo Association received over $300,000 for an outdoor multipurpose facility, which will open up the town to host international rodeo and camp drafting events, which is another brilliant outcome for that region. In the Pilbara, St John Ambulance in Port Hedland will have the benefit of a new subcentre, courtesy of over $1.7 million in funding from the NSRF. The project will allow St John Ambulance to cater for increased demand for services in the area and offer improved access to first aid training and equipment.

As I mentioned, the Karratha Arts and Community Precinct project is a project that the federal government has committed $10 million towards. This will improve the liveability of the city of Karratha and the Pilbara region, more generally. Karratha has the largest population of any town in the Pilbara, Kimberley and Gascoyne regions of northern Western Australia. It is a hub through which much of the industry and business of these regions flow through. We need to be encouraging projects that foster the growth of the spirit of the people of Karratha through arts and cultural projects such as this.

In the nearby town of Roebourne, a $2 million grant will help restore the Victoria Hotel. This is an important part of the heritage of the town and the region as a whole, as the hotel was constructed in 1893 and is still standing today—quite something in the Pilbara, I can assure you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Unfortunately, the pub has been closed since 2005 but was purchased in 2013 by the Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation. There are now new plans for the pub, which was famously the centre of town and will be again, I have no doubt. This restoration project aims to reveal the sites early 1900s architectural form and will position it as Roebourne's landmark, with retail space, a small business incubator and training facilities. No longer will it be a pub; it will provide very good community facilities.

The rural mid-west town of Cue was also boosted through the latest round of the program, with the town's 1895 state heritage listed building—

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With the time remaining, I would like to talk about the last four projects which will be funded thanks to the National Stronger Regions Fund. The first one is the Shire of Moora receiving $900,000 to upgrade the region's major health campus. Another is the Liebe Group, which will now get new premises in Dalwallinu—$616,000. The Shire of Kellerberrin receives $310,000 for the Centenary Park, and the Shire of Narembeen's community precinct will be funded by over $700,000 from the federal government.

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