Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) Australia's severe and intense weather events over recent years have placed immense pressure on the nation's regional, rural, and remote road network;

(b) the Australian Local Government Association estimates that the cost of repairing and replacing flood impacted roads is at least $3.8 billion in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria alone; and

(c) the Government has scrapped the specifically targeted Bridges Renewal Program and Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program which, when combined, were valued at $193.5 million per annum by 2026-27;

(2) acknowledges that the federal budget saw financial assistance grants to local government cut as a percentage of tax revenue from 0.52 per cent to 0.50 per cent in stark contrast to councils' long-term aim of achieving 1.0 per cent of tax revenue; and

(3) calls on the Government to invest in Australia's regional, rural and remote road network to support local governments, and improve road safety and freight productivity.

I am grateful to the House for the opportunity to debate this motion. In short, it's a motion that calls on those opposite who, contrary to the previous speaker, might not be aware that they are in charge of the agenda and, indeed, the nation to increase investment in Australia's rural, regional and remote road network to support local governments, improve road safety and freight productivity.

I'm so pleased that the member opposite—the relevant minister, who, prior to coming to this place, was a mayor of her local community—is here to listen to this. My message to the member for Eden-Monaro is: why aren't you standing up on behalf of your former colleagues, the mayors across the country?

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