Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

In the last sitting week, the minister for infrastructure announced infrastructure funding cuts of more than $220 million in my seat of Mayo and redirected those funds to Labor seats. Consequently, the most significant infrastructure investment in Mayo in more than two decades has had an axe taken to it by what I feel is a very city-centric government in a very city-centric move. These cuts are going to dramatically affect my community in the areas around Verdun and also Mount Barker. The Verdun interchange was built in 1974. It is nearly 50 years old. It is a one-way interchange and desperately needs an upgrade. Hahndorf is the second most visited town in Australia. It struggles with vehicle traffic being funnelled through the main street and now has been denied a solution.

The minister and the government have shown a complete lack of understanding and respect for my regional community and, I would say, regional Australia more broadly. Given the disproportionate amount of major accidents and fatalities that occur on regional roads, our regional roads need investment. To move funding across Australia into metropolitan areas is, I think, atrocious. I will now lead a delegation to Canberra and urge the minister to reconsider these cuts because they are unfair, antiregional and simply dangerous.

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