Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I reckon that the member for Wannon has probably been asleep for the last two years, or at least on budget night, and must have missed this government's increase in the budget for Roads to Recovery. This government has doubled the funding for Roads to Recovery to $1 billion annually, which we will reach. In my own electorate, that is an increase of up to $20 million for the City of Greater Bendigo alone. That's an increase of $8.5 million dollars to do exactly what the member for Wannon is ranting about: give money to local government to improve our local road network. That is what this government is doing.

It is also the history of this Prime Minister. For a long time, as Prime Minister and also as the minister for infrastructure and the shadow minister for infrastructure, Mr Albanese has been a champion of the Roads to Recovery Program. When we were in opposition and the then government decided to index the fuel excise, it was his idea to put that extra money into the Roads to Recovery budget, and that is what he has done. This government, under Anthony Albanese, has a track record in investing in our local roads, because we listen to community, we work with local government and we care. That is why in our budget we've committed to change.

But it's not just the Roads to Recovery budget where we have increased funding. We've also increased funding to the Black Spot program, another program that is delivering in Victoria—and in every state. That is where local government nominate to state government which roads are in need of repair. I know, because I chaired the Black Spot group in Victoria, that 25 per cent of the funding is allocated to roads classed as 'at risk', where locals are concerned that there could be a collision, and 75 per cent goes towards projects where there have been incidents already. Funding has gone to my electorate and funding has gone to the electorate of the member for Hawke, who I know will speak on this motion, in relation to this issue.

We take road safety and road repair very seriously and, under this government, we are acting. From $110 million to $150 million per year—that is the extra money that this government is putting in. We're also putting more money into the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, money which, again, is going to regional electorates. I stood with the local member for Bendigo West, who was allocated money from the federal government to the state government joint funding to improve roads in our electorate, another program that came from this government.

What the opposition are suggesting in this motion is that, if they were in government, they could not do both. In this motion, they have made it clear that it is either urban rail, through the Suburban Rail Loop, or country roads. It's a devastating admission by the opposition that they are saying they cannot do both. In government, we are delivering both. We have put $2.2 billion of funding into the Suburban Rail Loop. We are saying to those outer metro areas of Melbourne: you should have an urban rail option. That is why we are partnering with the Victorian state government to see that project delivered. We are also delivering, as I said, extra funding to fix our regional roads in Victoria, and we are delivering. It is the Roads to Recovery Program; it is the Black Spot program; it is the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program.

They're just three of the many projects—and I note the interjections from the member for Wannon, who doesn't like being called out on the political rhetoric that we are seeing from those opposite. They are trying to drive wedge politics, which is either money for infrastructure in outer Melbourne or money for regions. In government, because we have members from the regions and the outer urban areas, we are doing both. We are working with local and state government to deliver both.

One of the other challenges that we have had in our area—and I am proud to say all three levels of government are working together—is rebuilding after flood events in 2022 and earlier this year. This is another fund that we are delivering. The Albanese and Allan Labor governments are working together to deliver the road and rail infrastructure that the state of Victoria needs.

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