Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Government's $3 billion in funding in the 2022 October budget for the infrastructure that residents of New South Wales need, including:

(a) $40 million to upgrade roads across the Central Coast;

(b) $400 million for the New Richmond Bridge;

(c) $17.4 million for upgrades to Brindabella Road;

(d) $50 million to plan for the Castlereagh Connection; and

(e) $12.5 million for upgrades to Blue Mountains roads;

(2) notes this funding will make journeys quicker, and make sure residents of New South Wales can get home to their families safely, and comes after a decade of neglect for New South Wales infrastructure by the former Government; and

(3) thanks the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and the Prime Minister for working to deliver for New South Wales.

I want to acknowledge the Albanese Labor government's $3 billion in funding in the 2022 October budget for the infrastructure that the residents of New South Wales need and the infrastructure that the residents of New South Wales deserve. Take my home town, the Central Coast in New South Wales. Our road network has been neglected for quite some time. It's been neglected for the past 10 years. What does that mean? That means that there have been significant social, employment and health impacts. It's not just infrastructure—it's not just bitumen; it's not just bricks; it's not just mortar. It's about building the foundations of our society and of our community.

When we have congested road networks and roads that are falling apart and aren't well maintained, this impacts the ability of an ambulance to reach a patient and then transport them to hospital. It impacts the fire truck getting to the scene of that bushfire, to make a difference—to save lives and save property. It stops the police responding to a call involving domestic violence. It stops parents picking up their kids from school. It means that working people are stuck in traffic rather than (1) being at their place of work or (2) spending time with their loved ones and family. This isn't limited to the Central Coast. This is a widespread issue throughout New South Wales. I look at places like the Hunter, the Blue Mountains, Western Sydney and the South Coast. All of these places are going to benefit from the commitment made by the Albanese Labor government in the last budget, and they will continue to benefit under an Albanese Labor government into the future. We need repair and renewal of our infrastructure, and that is exactly what we're doing.

This was not only a major issue during the election; it's a major issue now. It's our infrastructure. It's the bricks and the mortar. It's what's building our community. We need to keep pace with the growing population in our regional centres and city centres. It's absolutely vital that we keep pace. These projects will grow our regions. They're going to support our regions. They're going to provide our people with the infrastructure and support that they so desperately need and so desperately deserve. The Australian government, the Albanese Labor government, is committed to investing in the right infrastructure projects that support New South Wales's growing cities and regions and that are underpinned by strong supportive evidence and demonstrated value for money.

I will give you a few examples of how this is going to benefit and impact my community. I'm talking about the significant upgrade at Avoca Drive, through Kincumber. This is a significant pinch point in my community, with significant traffic. We're talking about parents with kids being stuck in that traffic. We're talking about ambulances not being able to pass. We're talking about significant safety issues for pedestrians and people riding bicycles. It's the missing link that connects our centres on the Central Coast to our regional coastal villages like Avoca, Saratoga, Davistown, Erina and Gosford. All of those places are impacted because we did not get the infrastructure that we needed in the past decade. But I'm proud that our government, the Albanese Labor government, is investing heavily in regional roads.

I also look at the millions in investment that we are providing in our local roads. These local roads aren't just small roads; they're large roads that connect the major arterials that are used by our residents, right across the Central Coast. Those roads have been neglected and forgotten for so long. As a local who grew up in Umina, on the southern end of the Central Coast, I'm so proud and pleased that I'm part of a team on this side of the House that's getting behind New South Wales regional and metropolitan infrastructure. It is so important that we connect our community. It's so important that New South Wales gets the infrastructure that it needs and deserves.

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