Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Rudd Labor government have delivered in spades to the people of Blair. During the election campaign we made some significant commitments to the people of Blair. We worked hard to deal with the local community and there are many aged-care and health related initiatives which I will talk about another day. We have delivered the election commitments that we made before the last election and we take seriously those promises. Among the announcements in the budget, Blair will benefit locally from $525,000 towards the George Alder Tennis Centre in Ipswich—and I look forward to working with Ipswich City Council to deliver that project—and $10 million for the Ipswich CBD redevelopment. This is about the first serious money that a federal government has delivered to Ipswich CBD since the Whitlam Labor government helped fund and create the Ipswich civic centre. I know that Mayor Paul Pisasale is delighted about the funding. This funding will go towards seed money for the Ipswich lagoon pool project, the performing arts centre and what we hope to be a Parramatta style stadium on the north side of the Ipswich River.

There will be $600,000 towards the upgrade of Ipswich Basketball Stadium, and members of this House might be a bit surprised to know that I played for Ipswich in basketball—all 175 centimetres of me—for many years. Obviously I was not a centre; I was a guard. This $600,000 will help in the refurbishment and upgrade of the Ipswich Basketball Stadium. Road infrastructure will get a boost. Ipswich City Council will get $1.368 million, the Lockyer Valley region $1.3 million and the Boonah part of the Scenic Rim Regional Council will also get funding under the Roads to Recovery program.

The Strategic Regional Program will see the Cunningham Highway to Swanbank Enterprise Park Link of $6.3 million be delivered. The McGraths Bridge on the Mulgowie School Road will also be replaced at a cost of $365,000. There is also some money for the project that is near and dear to my heart, which is the upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway. Ipswich Motorway construction will start in January-February next year, and there is money in this budget for it. The upgrade of the Dinmore to Gailes section will commence and surveying is being done at the moment, with community consultation.

We have also delivered what we said we would do when I first met with the Amberley action group. We have provided in this budget $26.83 million for a replacement to the Amberley State School. In March 2008, the Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, instructed Defence to undertake a full review of all options for the future of this school, currently located near the Amberley defence base. As a result of the growth of the Amberley base, which is about the biggest base in Australia, the school could not remain there. There will be increased traffic movement and the construction of new living accommodation and mess facilities to cater for over 500 defence personnel. The current school site will just not be appropriate in the circumstances. So we have delivered what we said we would. We are giving the Queensland government $26.83 million, and the Queensland government will now decide where that school will be located. I have spoken to representatives of the local action group today and they have warmly welcomed the funding. They recognise that we have honoured what we said we would do.

There is a further $1 million for the relocation of the creche and kindergarten for the Amberley Preschool. This will be co-located with the new school on the south side of Ipswich. I welcome the money and I know my community will, and I recognise that the Treasurer has honoured what he has said in delivering this money. I will be particularly interested in taking him back to the George Alder Tennis Centre—but I must say to this House that his service is not quite as good as some of the professionals I have seen on the circuit. So thank you very much, Mr Swan. You have delivered for the people of Ipswich and Blair. I commend the budget and I warmly welcome the funding.