Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Cities) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Goldstein for his question. As the member knows, Australia is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world, both economically and population-wise. What that means is that some of our largest centres, such as Melbourne, Sydney and South East Queensland are really feeling the pressure, because most of the growth is in those areas, and often that translates into congestion. What does that mean for everyday families? It means that they're spending more time on the road and less time with their friends and family at home. People in Brighton and Hampton in Goldstein know this, as do people in our congested suburbs right across Australia.

The government has a plan to ease this congestion, and one of the most important elements of this plan is a massive investment in congestion-busting infrastructure. Over the next 10 years we are investing $75 billion worth of congestion-busting infrastructure into major roads, into rail and into other public transport infrastructure. In places like Sydney it's projects like WestConnex and NorthConnex. In Queensland it's the Brisbane Metro, the Bruce Highway and the M1. In South Australia it's the North-South Corridor. In Western Australia it's the METRONET. In Tasmania it's the Bridgewater Bridge. In the member for Goldstein's home city of Melbourne we have the Monash Freeway being developed. We have the Monash rail being funded. We have $5 billion toward the airport rail—finally connecting up the Tullamarine Airport and the city by rail. We have a $3 billion commitment to the East West Link, which I know the member for Deakin is very interested in—

Mr Hill interjecting—

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