Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I refer to His Excellency's speech on opening day, in which he said:

Major challenges—new and old—are before us.

In confronting these challenges, this parliament must seek to match the resolve and resilience of the people in whose name you serve.

The world has undergone momentous changes since that day, with the sad passing of our beloved sovereign and head of state, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

I thank the people of Moore for electing me as their representative for a fourth term to continue advocating for better facilities, improved services and economic development for our local community and the northern suburbs of Perth. I also thank the amazing team of Liberal Party members and supporters who volunteered during my campaign for their dedicated efforts. You ran a strong grassroots campaign focusing heavily on local issues. As a result, I was fortunate enough to be able to withstand the massive electoral swing that swept through Western Australia. Moore is now the only wholly metropolitan seat held by the Liberal Party in Western Australia. The result can only be attributed to the strong support I received from my campaign team in running an effective local campaign addressing local issues and maintaining a strong visible presence on the ground. The Liberal Party must never take the seat of Moore for granted. It is regrettable that the same individuals who were responsible for the loss of Moore by the Liberal Party in 1996 are actively working to undermine me. But with the strong support of the good people of Moore, I will defeat them.

Our local community has been resolute and resilient in the face of the global pandemic, which has affected the health and livelihoods of all people around the world. Many of my constituents have lost time, been separated from their families, because of border closures and restrictions and also incurred financial losses during the crisis. Our government sprang to action with economic measures such as the JobKeeper program, health measures such as the national vaccination scheme, and extensive restrictions designed to limit the transmission of the virus. From a personal perspective, I spent a total of seven weeks in quarantine in addition to the time I spent in Canberra. So, I apologise to my constituents for not being as visible as I would normally be.

In hindsight, the government erred on the side of caution in following the medical advice to keep our population safe. I thank my colleagues for the honour of electing me as the Second Deputy Speaker of the House on opening day. I will strive to fulfil my duties to the best of my ability. It was a special occasion to be sworn for the fourth time on the same Bible my grandmother, Sybil Goodenough, gave to me 39 years ago, on 20 January 1983, before I migrated to Australia as a child with my parents, which I have treasured all these years in remembrance of her. Australia is a land of opportunity where everyone can achieve their full potential through personal effort, hard work, talent and endeavour. Life is full of challenges and obstacles. Each of us must overcome our challenges with resilience and persistence.

At the heart of the Moore electorate is the regional city of Joondalup, which serves as the central business district of Perth's northern suburbs. My focus is on raising the profile of Joondalup to attract private sector investment, to further develop the city centre and expand the local economy, to provide greater amenity for my constituents. I am also working actively to secure federal funding grants to grow our community facilities. By adopting a regional approach to advocacy and development I will support initiatives such as the new hospital in Yanchep and an aquatic centre in Alkimos, as these projects will help take the pressure off Joondalup Hospital and HBF Arena Joondalup, which are currently overstretched, servicing the rapidly growing population located to the north from the coastal suburbs of Pearce.

Moore is home to many families, tradespersons, professionals, small-business owners and self-funded retirees, whose priorities include secure employment locally, housing affordability, ability to meet the rising costs of living, and financial security in retirement. Our community needs a government that is focused on prudent economic management, on keeping inflation under control and interest rates affordable, and on adopting policies to increase productivity. My constituents value their access to a quality education, health care and a safe neighbourhood. The people of Moore are also concerned about a range of environmental issues, such as reducing carbon emissions, minimising pollution, promoting recycling and conserving our local wetlands and coastal bushland.

However, the people in my electorate also value economic development, as they rely on construction, mining, services and industry for their livelihoods. The challenge of balancing the household budget and having enough money to pay the bills is a constant challenge. They know the value of a dollar and how to make ends meet.

Environmental measures must be cost-effective and not tokenistic. The electorate is now ready for a mature, informed debate on lifting the moratorium on nuclear energy, paving the way for lower-cost, reliable baseload power with zero emissions, utilising new technologies such as small-scale modular reactors.

A renewed focus on economic development is the key to turning around our economy. It is concerning to learn of large-scale mining, oil and gas projects being blocked by environmentalists and the Greens, for those actions are detrimental to the prosperity of ordinary Australians.

I am often asked by critics about what action I have taken on climate change. The answer is quite substantial. I have a track record of working closely with industry organisations such as the LNG Marine Fuels Institute, BE&R Consulting and the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel to advocate for lower emissions in the shipping industry, on a large scale, in Australian ports.

Globally, shipping accounts for almost three per cent of emissions. This will rise to 10 per cent by 2050, which is the equivalent of the emissions of Japan, which is the world's sixth largest emitter. For example, one large Newcastlemax class iron ore bulk carrier emits as much pollution as 50,000 cars. These ships also emit large quantities of sulphur and nitrous oxides, which adversely impact local populations.

To achieve the target of net zero by 2050 in ports, emissions reduction is required through low to zero carbon fuels for ships and zero carbon shore power. A key solution is changes to legislation that encourage the use of cleaner fuels and shore power. This can be achieved through the implementation of emission control areas around major Australian ports.

In terms of fuel for shipping, the cleanest readily available option today is liquefied natural gas. Global industry groups such as the Society for Gases as a Marine Fuel have identified this as a key fuel to span the transition from heavy fuel oils to green ammonia and hydrogen. Ports around the world are building liquefied natural gas refuelling capability now and preparing for a transition to greener fuels by selecting, where possible, cross-compatible equipment. It is expected that the required volumes of green fuels needed to decarbonise shipping will become available by around 2040.

Ships moored in port account for 90 per cent of emissions in a large port. Green port initiatives include the use of green grid electricity to power land-based machinery, hydrogen-powered forklifts with more efficient electric lighting and electric harbour vessels.

The electors of Moore are looking forward to the future, where our regional city has the potential to grow into a vibrant metropolis, with access to a wider range of professional services, amenities and advanced technology, supporting highly skilled jobs for our suburban population. This can only occur by securing funding and investment. It is the role of the federal government to develop policy to promote innovative development and the necessary funding support to deliver this vision. It is necessary to advocate for the development of an innovation precinct in Joondalup for new and emerging technology and industries, such as, but not limited to, robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, data science, space, health and med tech, defence, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. The City of Joondalup is to be commended for its commitment to becoming an urban centre for artificial intelligence and robotics. I am regularly briefed by Mayor Albert Jacob, chief executive officer James Pearson, and manager of economic development advocacy Luke Wilcox about strategies to attract advanced industries to our city centre.

This leads me to inform the House of the launch of the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct in Neerabup last year, which is being developed as an industry-leading research, development and testing ground for automation, remote operations and robotics. Road and infrastructure works are currently underway in the precinct's initial 51-hectare site, with the common-user facility building scheduled to open in 2023. Development of the AARP is set to create at least 70 construction jobs, with up to 5,000 ongoing jobs in the field of robotics, automation and remote operations expected to be generated after completion. When fully complete, the precinct will form one of the largest test facilities of its kind in the world. This innovation precinct will foster a collaborative ecosystem, driving transformation across the mining, resources, energy, oil and gas, space and defence sectors, serving to transform and futureproof our regional economy whilst creating skilled local jobs for the future.

Cybersecurity has dominated the national debate in recent times, with the Optus and Medibank data breaches attracting media attention. With the soaring costs of cybercrime threatening Australian and global businesses, the cybersecurity industry is set to spark the next jobs boom in Australia. The City of Joondalup's role in the fight against cybercrime deserves recognition. Joondalup is home to the $138 million Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre and the Western Australian AustCyber Innovation Hub, which aim to grow the Australian cybersecurity ecosystem, export Australia's cybersecurity to the world and make Australia the leading centre for cybereducation.

By focusing on the needs of my local community since 2013, I have established a track record of delivering major projects for the benefit of the people in my electorate. The extension and widening of the Mitchell Freeway, at a cost of $291 million, has improved the connection of our suburbs to Perth and to employment centres. To alleviate long waiting lines and ambulance ramping at Joondalup hospital, federal funding of $158 million towards the $256 million expansion was delivered, which is under construction. More than $100 million in federal funding was invested in major road upgrades, including traffic bridges over Wanneroo Road at Joondalup Drive and Ocean Reef Road, to connect our suburbs to economic activity centres of employment and to improve east-west access, and in numerous community projects.

Locally, I'm committed to securing continued access to world-class health care for local residents, as many of my constituents have to travel long distances to access medical treatment at Royal Perth Hospital or Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Through investment we can ensure that a wider variety of allied health and professional services, including better aged care, is delivered in our community. We will seek to attract and retain the best researchers and academics to our local educational institutions and expand higher education and training opportunities within our innovative Joondalup Learning Precinct. To achieve this I will continue advocating for the necessary infrastructure and policy development, including improved roads, community facilities and telecommunications to connect more, both physically and digitally, to other metropolitan activity centres.

I commit to advocating for the connection of Whitfords Avenue to a realigned Gnangara Road, as this will make the daily commute for 8,000 more residents safer and more direct, fostering economic development in the Wangara industrial area, which is located in the neighbouring electorate of Pearce. During the election campaign I secured a federal funding commitment of $20 million for this project and I must now work with the Albanese government to match this funding. Similarly, the grade separation of the Reid Highway at the extremely busy Erindale Road intersection with a free-flowing traffic bridge will connect the residential population in the coastal suburbs of Moore to the economic activity hubs of Balcatta, Malaga, Perth Airport and beyond via the Tonkin Highway and NorthLink. For thousands of FIFO workers commuting to Perth Airport regularly, this will be a huge advantage. The federal budget contained $2.5 million towards the design of the project. Further federal funding in the order of $100 million is required to deliver the project, and I will be campaigning hard to secure this commitment.

Federal funding of $1.5 million was committed for the relocation of the Ocean Reef war memorial to a new permanent location by the previous government. As impending construction works will mean that the arch built to commemorate the centenary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli will need to be dismantled, on behalf of the Joondalup City sub-branch of the Returned Services League I urgently seek a bipartisan commitment from the Albanese government to fund the shortfall in funding. I have written to my fellow Western Australian counterpart, the member for Burt, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, to seek his assistance. Our community needs the memorial to be restored at the earliest possible opportunity so that generations of Australians can gather on Anzac and remembrance days to commemorate the service of our veterans.

Other local projects for which I will continue to advocate a federal funding contribution from the new Albanese government include: $180,000 for a synthetic green at the Sorrento Bowling Club; a $3 million clubhouse redevelopment at the North Shore Community Hub; and the redevelopment of Heathridge Park.

The West Perth Football Club, based at HBF Arena Joondalup, is the oldest WAFL club, with 130 years of history. Club president Neale Fong and CEO Joe McCarthy have contacted me to express concern that the existing lighting facilities are inadequate and in need of a major upgrade. The current tower lights and infrastructure at the ground are 28 years old and require replacement. The club has obtained a quote putting the total cost of the lighting upgrade at $1.2 million. The West Perth Football Club has obtained an initial commitment of a 10 per cent contribution from the AFL and is seeking federal funding in the order of $1 million to complete the project. Upgraded lighting would allow the club to play night football, with capacity in future for televised night AFL.

In summary, there is much more work to be done in this term of parliament to attract private sector investment to develop our regional city, as well as securing more federal funding to build community facilities for the Moore community. I will continue my focus on economic development to deliver for the people of Moore.

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