Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The electorate of Blair has seen the most significant investment in infrastructure for many years under this federal Labor government. This is because the Labor government has invested in infrastructure. In Queensland it has more than doubled annual infrastructure spending from $143 to $314 per Queenslander. I have spoken many times in this place on the federal Labor government's $3 billion investment in the Ipswich Motorway from Dinmore to Darra and I am pleased to see it is continuing to invest in the upgrade of this motorway. The continuing work is not in my electorate but is vital to motorists in Blair and that is why the Ipswich-based The Queensland Times celebrated this continuing investment on its front page today.

We are continuing to invest in Ipswich Motorway with the instalment of $279 million for the Darra to Rocklea six-lane upgrade, an upgrade located mainly in the electorate of Moreton but used by tens of thousands of people in Ipswich and Brisbane. A section of that road floods regularly at Oxley Creek. This is an important road upgrade for the economy of the western corridor and for South East Queensland. It is important for jobs, for growth and for the economic development of South East Queensland. I am not sure that those opposite who represent communities in South East Queensland understand this.

This morning I am also pleased to announce that work has finally begun on the Blacksoil interchange at the Warrego and Brisbane Valley Highway intersection in Blair. This government has committed $54 million to this $93 million project—we did it back in 2011. The project was delayed four times by the state LNP government. This has been a long and difficult process and I have spoken at length in this place in relation to it. It is a notorious intersection. Approximately 40,000 vehicles a day travel along the Warrego Highway with about 9,000 vehicles a day on the Brisbane Valley Highway and a further 6,000 vehicles a day on the Wulkuraka Connection Road in Ipswich. The traffic on all three roads is expected to more than double by 2031 so it is vital to move now on this important infrastructure upgrade. The project is expected to be completed by late 2014; it is a big win for motorists. I am sad that those opposite voted against it, as they did with the upgrade to Ipswich Motorway, Dinmore to Darra, again and again. For three federal elections the coalition opposed the Ipswich Motorway upgrade and they opposed the Blacksoil interchange upgrade at the last federal election.

I call on the LNP members in South East Queensland to support the upgrade of the Darra to Rocklea section of Ipswich Motorway—finally to get it; finally to realise that this upgrade is important for jobs, growth and economic development in South East Queensland.