Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As I was driving across the electorate last week, I saw service stations across the region advertising fuel ranging from $2.20 a litre up to almost $2.50 a litre. Across Northern Tasmania there is concern over increasing costs from the petrol station to the supermarket. Mortgage rates, health insurance premiums and the threat of significant power prices have almost everyone I know redoing their budget to meet the increased cost-of-living demands. Next year will be a particularly difficult one for many, with electricity bills expected to soar 20 per cent and a further 30 per cent next financial year. While some can absorb the cost by making adjustments here and there, many have legitimate concerns over how they will meet increased costs when there is already very little wriggle room. Christmas is just around the corner, and by then Treasury is tipping annual inflation at 7.75 per cent.

Over the past few years in this job I've pushed for reasonable support as the economic conditions continued to evolve, particularly as the pandemic took hold. In a time of economic turmoil, I know that many feel let down by the lack of immediate cost-of-living measures in Labor's recent budget. Additional childcare support is welcomed, although I still think the measures miss the mark when it comes to supporting families with young children, particularly in the Northern Tasmanian region I represent, where accessibility is still an issue. Cheap child care doesn't make a difference when the system doesn't work. It is, in my opinion, a missed opportunity for genuine reform of the sector.

Additionally, necessary support for pensioners, families with school-aged children or your average working Australians is sorely missing from this budget. I was, however, extremely pleased to see support for a number of health commitments I made during the 2022 federal election, that were then matched by Labor, appear in the recent budget. At the end of the day, bipartisan support for local projects ensures that the community comes out as a winner. As an elected representative, I'm constantly delivering for my Northern Tasmanian region. So I'm pleased to see that Labor's budget supports the $20 million I pledged during the election towards the establishment of a standalone palliative care centre in Launceston. Through my work with the state government and other key stakeholders, it was clear that $20 million dollars would be necessary for the project to get off the ground and that Labor's initial pledge of $5 million was seemingly plucked out of nowhere, with no-one having done their due diligence, whereas I'd also secured a written commitment from the state government to deliver the clinical planning.

Cancer survivors will also benefit from $580,000 to fund a post-cancer survivorship trial program at the WP Holman Clinic. I'm particularly passionate about this program, having met regularly with the clinicians who have driven the creation of the program over the past few years. Again, Labor matched this commitment during the election, though I suspect without actually having any idea of what it was. Still, it's in the budget, and I'm looking forward to seeing this program roll out in my electorate.

The establishment of a leading medical research innovation centre, spearheaded by the Clifford Craig Foundation, is also one step closer after receiving funding through the recent budget. In April this year, I announced $4 million to relocate the foundation to the Northern Integrated Care Service building at the Launceston General Hospital. I've been working with the Clifford Craig team on this vision for medical research for several years and agree with CEO Peter Milne's sentiment that this funding will be a game changer for our region. This investment will expand the capacity to translate health research into improved practice and patient outcomes in rural and regional Australia. Importantly, it will also assist in recruiting, retaining and training medical specialists and high-calibre health professionals for our region. Once again, Labor matched the commitment within a few days of the announcement, and the funding in the budget brings it one step closer to fruition, but, once again, this was after I'd undertaken the necessary work to secure the cooperation of the state government.

While speaking on health, I'm curious to know the status of Launceston's urgent care clinic, which was a key announcement during Labor's campaign in the electorate of Bass. I've heard a number of Labor members spruik the commitment to urgent care clinics in their electorates, and I'd love to know if they have more information than I do as to when the clinics will open, where they will specifically be located and what the model will look like.

Other key commitments which I secured prior to the election through the March budget—the Flinders Island Safe Harbour Project and an Exeter show and recreation hub—have received funding assurances through this budget. I'm extremely disappointed, though, that it's taken the federal government six months to uphold the funding commitment, causing unnecessary stress and uncertainty for these communities and likely resulting in increased project costs. But I welcome the news nonetheless.

Closer to where I live, the George Town Aquatic, Health and Wellbeing Centre was a matched election commitment and one that featured as the cornerstone of the Bass campaign. As a local and former mayor of George Town, I know how much the community is looking forward to seeing this project get off the ground. The aquatic centre was supported by both major parties during the election, ensuring that the project would come to fruition regardless of the government of the day.

The commitment, much like the Ravenswood Skate Park, seemingly falls under the Investing in Our Communities Program to deliver small-scale community, sport and infrastructure projects across Australia, with funds spread out over five years, though further details are lacking. There's little to no forthcoming information on when the money will be made available for the project, with George Town Council still waiting for confirmation. Meeting with Ravenswood locals prior to the budget, they expressed concerns that they had not heard from the government at all since the election about their project, one that will require the involvement of the council, who were not even consulted prior to the announcement. Labor may well say that the project is in the budget somewhere, but the lack of interaction with the community is very telling.

I also have questions over the federal government's commitment to the future of the Launceston City Deal, an innovative plan involving all three levels of government. Originally a five-year investment to position Launceston as one of Australia's most liveable and innovative regional cities, the deal was extended to 10 years, through to 2027, with over $560 million of total investment earmarked to deliver jobs and skills, drive infrastructure and investment growth and improve the liveability and sustainability of the city.

Under the coalition government a commitment of over $254 million was made towards supporting infrastructure projects. This year's budget has indicated funds for the next few years before it disappears completely off the books a full two years before the city deal is due to wrap up. For an initiative that's delivered so much for the city so far, and with significant plans still in the works, I would like the government to be forthcoming on the future of the deal, which is critical to the future of our city.

Key projects under the city deal include a commitment of $130 million to the redevelopment of the University of Tasmania's Inveresk campus, the largest infrastructure project undertaken in the city and the centrepiece of the deal. The North Esk River pedestrian cycling bridge opened last year, and earlier this year I officially opened the new library and student services building. Two more buildings are under development and expected to open next year, with the new campus expected to create 225 new academic and supporting full-time equivalent jobs.

The deal also includes significant funding to improve the health of the Tamar Estuary through infrastructure upgrades and catchment management actions. Key projects within this funding include the Tamar Estuary urban water infrastructure upgrade project, which, while it may not sound terribly exciting, has had a demonstrable impact, with upgrades stopping around the equivalent of five Olympic swimming pools of sewage heading into the river each year.

Then there's the $30 million to develop the Defence and Maritime Innovation and Design Precinct at the Australian Maritime College. Launceston has long been considered a hub of—

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