George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on how the government's commitment of $6.7 billion over the next 10 years to fix the Bruce Highway will benefit communities in my electorate of Dawson?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dawson for his question, coming as it does from one of the champions of the Fix the Bruce campaign. During those long years in opposition, coalition members at state and federal level were travelling up and down the coast to draw attention to the inadequacies of the Bruce Highway and the need to commit substantial funds to make it into the road of that the 21st century demands. Arising out of the Fix the Bruce campaign, the coalition and the Queensland government agreed to an $8.5 billion package to upgrade the Bruce Highway and $6.7 billion of that came from the Commonwealth government. The honourable member, like me, would have been delighted to see the commitment to deliver on that package in the coalition's first federal budget. We announced 45 new projects and continuing funding for 16 more. That will make a real difference in helping to get this road up to standard, making it more flood proof, increasing its capacity and making it a safer road for people to travel on. Our $6.7 billion commitment compares with $4.1 billion that the Labor Party had put on the table for this major highway. In addition, the Labor Party money was conditional on the Queensland government paying a 50 per cent contribution, when the traditional mix on the national highway network has been 80 to 20. In reality, Labor had not real plan to deliver the money at all. There were so many barbs and conditions attached to their funding offer that, in reality, many of the projects would not have proceeded. In the budget, there are some substantial commitments to the electorate of Dawson. I know the member has a particular interest in the Mackay ring road, which will be a $565 million project. The initial $11.6 million is being provided for planning and land acquisition to get that project underway. But there is more than that. There is a start on the $57 million Sandy Gully bridge project and the $45 million Yellow Gin bridge project—they both have their initial funding in this budget. On top of that there is the Vantassel Street to Cluden duplication in the southern part of Townsville. There will be $48 million extra provided to get that project underway and towards completion.

So there are real commitments to real projects, getting jobs underway. Under this government there will be a concerted effort to fix the Bruce and to make a difference for all of those people who depend on that vital highway.