John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to recognise our government's foresight and commitment to building better regions across Australia. I'm a proud resident of the Darling Downs. My parents, my grandparents and my great-grandparents before me were residents there as well. My family tree of McVeighs and Mearas is proof that regional Australia can support ambitions and efforts across the generations. My family put down roots in the amazing, cracking black-clay soils of the Darwin Downs, and those roots are still there today. There are five generations, with my children's generation starting to make its way in the world.

The city of Toowoomba is the beating heart of the Darling Downs, and it would be safe to say that it would be unrecognisable to my great-great-grandparents today. Toowoomba is a city of some 116,000 people and is perched on the Great Dividing Range. In the latest round of the Building Better Regions Fund, a life-changing project in our city was successful. The dream of having a purpose-built permanent home-base facility for LifeFlight emergency medical helicopters is becoming a reality. The funds, which were a partnership in the true sense of the word, were provided through the coalition government's Building Better Regions Fund, which provided $2.05 million; local businessman and philanthropist Clive Berghofer, OAM, who provided $1.87 million; and LifeFlight Australia, which provided $171,000.

The money will replace existing ageing buildings with new purpose-built aviation facilities, including hanger capacity for two AW139 helicopters, aircrew accommodation, administration operations and a flight-simulator room. It will be a boost for our regional community as the project will create 350 jobs during construction and, more particularly, will enhance the entire healthcare chain throughout our region. Most importantly, it will provide more vital aeromedical services to people throughout our region of south-west Queensland, be they farmers, miners, locals or tourists. This type of project continues to build the future for our region so that families like mine will continue to stay and prosper, or, as many of us do, go away and see the world before realising there is nowhere that compares to the Darling Downs and return home. The LifeFlight project is an example of a significant project enhancing our community on the Darling Downs, but it is also an illustration of broader Australia and the benefits that can be achieved in regional Australia in particular.

As chair of the Select Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation, I know there is huge potential for economic growth in regional areas. The government's Building Better Regions Fund is part of the investment in the futures of these regions. The government is doing this as it wants to partner with regional communities to build confidence across the entire nation, as regional communities are the lifeblood of this country, as you well know, Mr Deputy Speaker. We need to capitalise on the strengths and local resources we know our regions offer. We certainly need to focus on required infrastructure and community facilities for growth in regional Australia. But we need to recognise, at the end of the day, as this government does, that so much of Australia's economic prosperity is generated from our regions, from mining to agriculture, from education to health, to innovation and other advances, particularly in new industries. There are many rural and regional towns doing great things across the country to foster economic and social development in their communities. This government is committed to seeing that continue to happen, hence efforts such as the Building Better Regions program. We are committed to regional growth, long-term employment opportunities and sustainability in these communities across the states and territories of Australia.

I am a passionate supporter of regional Australia and I believe Australia's regions remain the key to unlocking our future growth and potential as a nation. Why? Because, like those generations of McVeighs and Mearas who went before me, we understand, in our case, the Darling Downs. We know its challenges, we know its successes, and, like so many others who live in regional Australia, we know there is tremendous growth potential throughout our entire nation. The government's Building Better Regions program recognises just that as well.

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