Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion on the Notice Paper on behalf of the member for Mallee.

Leave granted.

I move:

That this House:

(1) congratulates the Government on the success of the National Stronger Regions Fund (NSRF);

(2) acknowledges the significant and positive impact that the NSRF is having in rural, remote and disadvantaged regions around Australia; and

(3) notes that the:

(a) Government is investing $153,814,329 million in 53 projects around Victoria under 3 rounds of the NSRF; and

(b) NSRF is delivering infrastructure projects to create jobs in regional areas, improve community facilities and support stronger and more sustainable communities across Victoria.

It is my great pleasure to rise and speak on the National Stronger Regions Fund, which was an incredibly important program right across not just Victoria but Australia. We are so incredibly proud of the way that this program has made such a difference to so many regional communities right around the country. This has been a wonderful program. I know how much this program has meant to the people of Corangamite.

In the last round of the program, $13.3 million was committed to a number of very important projects. There was one in Queenscliff—the Destination Queenscliff project. I do want to commend the Borough of Queenscliffe on the work on this particular program, revitalising a very significant tourism town. There was also a wonderful project—the beautifying Winchelsea project. This was a project about injecting pride and investment in the town of Winchelsea. After more than half a billion dollars is going to be spent on duplicating the Princes Highway—the township of Winchelsea is already looking magnificent—this program will really make a difference, also. There have been projects right across my electorate—whether it is Baptcare's Norlane community hub which is supporting Diversitat's vision with $1 million or $225,000 to upgrade refuelling facilities at Lethbridge Airport. In an incredible project, $7.25 million was awarded to support Baptcare's Norlane community hub. This includes a very significant investment in affordable housing, in a new aged-care facility and in an allied health and medical practice. I know that is making an enormous difference to the people of northern Geelong. It, really, will be making an incredible difference to so many people seeking that access to housing.

I am incredibly proud be part of a government that is putting regional Australia first, whether it is the NBN or critical mobile communications infrastructure—$220 million has been invested in mobile base stations all around the country, including 18 base stations in Corangamite. The National Stronger Regions Fund is yet another example of our government's commitment to regional Australia. I do note that it has received a very positive tick of good health in the way the fund has been administered. I do want to say that, in contrast, under Labor the report of the Auditor-General of the ANAO into the predecessor of the National Stronger Regions Fund, the Regional Development Australia Fund, found that it was wanting. The minister at the time, the member for Ballarat, was found to have been wanting in the way in which that program had been administered.

We are now about to launch a new program, the Building Better Regions Fund. This is yet another example of our government's commitment to regional Australia. Two hundred and ninety-seven million dollars will be available in the first round. In fact, the infrastructure round closes tomorrow. For all those groups that are scrambling to get their application in, it does close to tomorrow. Then, what we have done with this particular fund, in contrast to the National Stronger Regions Fund, is open up a separate community investment stream which opens up the criteria to a range of broader projects. What is also significant about the Building Better Regions Fund is that it is only open to minor capitals, regional cities and regional, rural and remote Australia. So the capital cities are excluded from this program. I think that has been a very important sign and a very important decision by our government in that we are strongly focused on delivering for regional Australia. We accept that not always do people living in regional Australia have the same opportunities as those living in the major cities. So this sends a very important message.

I am really excited about a number of projects that are going to be submitted under the Building Better Regions Fund, including a wonderful safe harbour project that has been driven by the Geelong yacht club. Again, it is my great pleasure to move this motion on behalf of the member for Mallee and to celebrate the wonderful work of the National Stronger Regions Fund.

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