Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, let's clarify that. In addition, 33 remote road upgrade pilot projects will be delivered throughout 2023-24.

We remain committed to Vision Zero—zero deaths and serious injuries due to road crashes by 2050. This budget commits over $976 million for new road safety improvements with a focus on regional and remote areas, and pedestrians and cyclists through the Road Safety Program. There is a further $43.6 million that has been committed to the new national road safety action grants program over four years from 2022-23.

Importantly, our plan includes measures to progress the development of a nationally consistent, shared set of road safety data. This includes a commitment by the Australian government to develop a national road safety data collection and reporting framework and minimum national data set.

The government is also investing to strengthen and protect the unique environmental assets across regions. The October budget included bringing up to $1.2 billion by 2030 investment for the Great Barrier Reef and further support for Kakadu and other national parks.

As the next phase of the Natural Heritage Trust provided in the October budget, this budget allocates $439.2 million of Trust funding to deliver benefits to Australia's threatened species and protect internationally listed world heritage properties and Ramsar wetlands.

And recognising that regional Australia is disproportionally affected by natural disasters, it will be supported through disaster risk-reduction projects funded under the Disaster Ready Fund, with an investment of up to $200 million per year available, and $27.4 million to deliver Australia's first national climate risk assessment and start developing a national adaptation plan.

Australia's flood forecasting and warnings will be improved, with an investment of over $236 million over 10 years to remediate flood warning infrastructure. It has been sadly neglected across our country. More reliable and accurate forecasts will support preparedness in regional areas and enable better informed regional responses, helping to ease destruction and damage caused by severe flooding.

To ensure that support is available when disasters do hit, an additional $231.8 million in 2023-24 is also being invested for Services Australia to establish a cost-effective emergency response capacity. This will support the delivery of high-quality government services and payments when customers need them the most.

And to support the arts and culture and to create healthy, engaged and vibrant lives, our people, families, and communities will benefit from the government's new National Cultural Policy, which commits an additional $286 million over five years to deliver increased investments in arts and culture right around Australia, including additional support for the Regional Arts Fund.

Finally, is the priority of investing in our industries and our local economies. The budget makes strategic, future-focused investments that recognise the significant contribution Australia's regions will make to securing a productive and sustainable future for our nation.

We're committed to supporting the transition to net zero for our national and our regional economies. Under our $1.9 billion Powering the Regions Fund, we will provide targeted support for our regions, sectors, workforces and technologies to drive the transformation to net zero, ensuring that regional Australians participate in the secure and sustainable jobs and industries of the future and to build strong regional economies.

We have allocated $2 billion to establish a production contract program for green hydrogen and its derivatives.

And our $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, announced in the October budget and built on in this one, will diversify and transform Australian industry through targeted investments in priority areas.

The government will establish a net zero authority to help drive the transformation to clean energy economies and ensure Australian regions and workers benefit from the transition.

The authority will work with a range of stakeholders to help key regions, industries and employers to proactively manage that transition.

The government's Net Zero Economy Taskforce has been working to put regional Australia on the front foot for that transition to net zero, working with local communities, state and territory governments, industries and unions to get this historic change, challenge and opportunity right.

In resources, the budget includes an investment of a further $23.4 million over four years to support the continued operation of the Critical Minerals Office and $57.1 million over four years to establish the critical mineral international partnership program.

And recognising the importance of the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors to our regions and to Australia's economy, the budget invests $1 billion over four years and $286.1 million ongoing towards a strong and sustainably funded biosecurity system, putting that onto a secure footing.

We will invest $40.6 million to continue the Indigenous Rangers Biosecurity Program, supporting a strengthened biosecurity system in northern Australia as part of an overall $1 billion package over four years to strengthen the national biosecurity system.

To strengthen sustainable farming and natural resources management practices, the investment of $302.1 million from 2023-24 through the National Heritage Trust will reduce the agricultural sector's emissions, build climate resilience, enhance market access and improve environmental outcomes.

We are also investing $38.3 million over four years, with an additional $7.6 million per year ongoing to bolster the capability of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, supporting a stronger and more sustainable agricultural sector.

Conclusion

This budget does enshrine our government's commitment to ensuring that no Australian is held back or left behind. The budget takes a well-planned, well-targeted and well-executed approach to listening to our regions and investing in their unique needs.

It's a budget that meets the needs of regions and meets the moment that we are in.

It takes decisions now that will support and position our regions throughout this defining decade.

We're backing our regions because our regions are the backbone of Australia's future.

Through this and subsequent budgets—and guided by the regional investment framework—our government will continue the journey, hand-in-hand with communities, towards vibrant and sustainable futures for our regions and for our nation.

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