Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Morrison government is continuing to deliver safer and better roads and infrastructure across Australia. Nation-building extensive infrastructure projects have been a constant of Liberal-National governments over the last eight years and a hallmark of our vision of a connected Australia that really works. This has continued in the past two budgets through the global COVID-19 pandemic, creating more jobs, while boosting aggregate demand and locking in our economic recovery.

In the most recent budget, an additional $1.1 billion has been committed to continue road safety upgrades through the Road Safety Program in 2022-23, bringing the fund to a total of $3 billion. This will mean an increase of more than $500 million in funding for my home state of Victoria to be provided on a use-it-or-lose-it basis and directly tied to the outcome of improving road safety. Across the country this significant program is applying life-saving road treatments where they are needed most.

The first tranche of works under the program, which is now underway, is upgrading more than 6,000 kilometres of road around the nation—that's nearly the distance between Melbourne and Hong Kong where I am from—and is expected to support more than 13,000 jobs. Works include shoulder sealing, audio tactile line marking, central line treatments and barriers to protect against roadside hazards on high-risk state highways and arterial roads.

Any death or serious injury from a road crash is one too many. The Road Safety Program is just one part of this picture, delivering life-saving road safety treatments on rural and regional roads, and providing better protections for vulnerable road users. But our government is also supporting local councils across the country to deliver safer local roads and better local infrastructure through other important initiatives like the Roads to Recovery Program, the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and the Black Spot Program.

In my electorate of Chisholm this funding has resulted in many major wins for local communities. For example, in Blackburn, the Morrison government has provided $1.5 million in funding to replace the Main Street bridge. In Box Hill, we have provided financial backing so that council can carry out important safety improvements to the Station Street and Harold Street intersection. In Glen Waverley, we are fixing the Kingsway and Railway Parade North black spot and also funding major pedestrian safety improvements on the Kingsway. In Mount Waverley, we are addressing the concerns of locals on Lawrence Road and funding important safety upgrades to reduce local traffic speed. This will result in a safer neighbourhood for locals and local families, and a reduction in traffic noise, significantly improving residents' quality of life.

There are many more projects going on, but it's all about making Chisholm community, as well as communities across the country, safer and better places to live. It's all part of the Morrison government's record $110 billion, 10-year infrastructure pipeline to support locals and secure jobs, drive growth and help rebuild Australia's economy from the COVID-19 pandemic. I have no doubt that these investments will help to secure Australia's world-leading economic recovery and set us on the course for growth and prosperity for years to come.

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