Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal 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 the benefits of the WestConnex project to my constituents and update the House on the government's progress towards its completion?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. Yesterday, Infrastructure Australia released its assessment on the WestConnex project. It was a very positive report, reflecting on the significance of this project for Sydney, a transformational project for Sydney's traffic, a project that will employ thousands of New South Welshmen and thousands of Sydneysiders, and deliver a much smoother path for the city's traffic. Infrastructure Australia has recognised that WestConnex is a priority project for New South Wales and that certainly supports the view of Sydney motorists, the NRMA and the Property Council, and really everyone who passes through those areas. It is surprising that there are people on the other side of the House that are so short-sighted that they want to tamper with or reduce the scale of this project, or in fact put in places high jumps, so that it will never, ever actually happen.

This is an enormous project that will make a huge difference to the people of the member for Reid's electorate. It will enable traffic to avoid 52 sets of traffic lights, cut the travel time between Parramatta and Sydney airport by 40 minutes and, importantly for the people who live in the member for Reid's electorate, remove 3,000 trucks a day from Parramatta Road. It is also expected to halve the commuter time between the inner west of the city and those travelling by bus to the city.

WestConnex is going to create tens of thousands of jobs. It will provide a major boost to the economy of Sydney. It will be one of those projects that will transform the city and ensure that traffic is able to move seamlessly in a way that previously has not been possible. It is the kind of project that the Abbott government are matching in other cities, as we seek to find a transport network that will meet the needs of a growing economy and a growing nation. This is more good news from the coalition government. It is a project of great significance for our largest city and a project that gets underway with this government, because we are backing projects that matter to our country.