Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm excited to have the opportunity to speak about what is in this budget, the Albanese government's third budget, and what it delivers for Australians. For the past decade we had become accustomed to announcements without substance and press releases in place of projects. This is what defined infrastructure for almost a decade, so much so that the infrastructure investment pipeline worth $120 billion had become clogged and bogged down with projects that were announced but never delivered. That's why the Albanese government announced an independent and comprehensive review of the pipeline and responded to its recommendations late last year, cleaning up the mess that was left behind.

Because of the Albanese government's management, and because this government is focused on projects that can actually be delivered, the most recent budget committed additional funding for my part of Australia, Western Sydney. Announced early in May, the Albanese government is investing an additional $1.9 billion for infrastructure projects across Western Sydney—projects that can actually be delivered and will benefit the communities that surround them, projects that will significantly benefit some of the most congested and traffic-prone roads in Western Sydney, helping our locals get to and from work faster so that they can spend more time with their families. Funded in this year's budget is a new infrastructure package for Western Sydney that delivers 14 new projects and provides additional funding for two existing projects. Those projects include upgrades to Mamre Road, Elizabeth Drive, Appin Road, Mulgoa Road, Memorial Avenue and Garfield Road, to name a few.

But this investment is also about the future, with additional funding allocated to planning projects such as the Cambridge Avenue upgrade, the Western Sydney Freight Line Stage 1 final business case, Western Sydney roads future planning, and a business case for the south-west Sydney rail link. This government understands the importance of real and tangible infrastructure upgrades as well as laying the foundations for future development. That is why the budget delivers for all our communities in Western Sydney. The Albanese government's investment in Western Sydney infrastructure now totals $17.3 billion—more than the previous coalition government's and in projects that we are genuinely committed to delivering.

But this budget's investment in infrastructure doesn't end here. The government is delivering on nation building infrastructure projects across Australia, with the budget providing $16.5 billion in funding for new and existing projects that focus on improving productivity, liveability and sustainability. The investment will drive economic growth and productivity while also creating jobs and ensuring that our cities, suburbs and regions are liveable. That is the purpose of infrastructure investments—a purpose that seemed to have been forgotten under previous governments. The budget also delivers an additional $1 billion to support state and territories to build enabling infrastructure, which will help deliver greater housing supply across the country, building on the Albanese government's Housing Support Program, which delivers $500 million for enabling infrastructure.

The Albanese government also acknowledges the importance of local roads in our community. After all, these are the roads that are used most often by Australians; they are the very roads they live on. The government is also committed to making our roads safer. Over the past few years my community has seen the effects of several flooding and extreme weather events that have left roads in a miserable state and less safe for drivers. That's why this budget has committed $4.4 billion under the Roads to Recovery program over the next five years, with funding to progressively double the $1 billion annually, providing funding certainty. Under the Roads to Recovery program, funding will be provided to local councils to ensure long-term maintenance of local road networks and critical road safety measures. That funding is to fill potholes, improve drainage and repair pavement. They're things that make a huge difference to the safety of our roads. New South Wales councils will receive $1.2 billion over five years, an increase of $461 million under the Albanese government.

I look forward to seeing local councils in Werriwa finally use this funding to improve the state of our local roads. After a decade of neglect, this Albanese Labor government is delivering the proper infrastructure investment that I've been fighting for since 2016, and it's what our local communities deserve.

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