Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great feeling to speak on a funding windfall for Hume following announcements of successful projects under a range of federal infrastructure programs. Eight councils in Hume are receiving a share of the $2.61 million in Roads to Recovery payments this quarter, and they include: Cootamundra, Cowra, Goulburn, Upper Lachlan, Weddin, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Yass.

A massive eight bridge and road projects across Hume are receiving a share in over $6 million of funding, matched dollar for dollar by the state government, under the Bridges Renewal and Heavy Vehicle Safety programs. These programs mean a significant net benefit for local government, and they enhance jobs and growth in these communities.

I am sure that many in this place remember the RDAF funding commitments under Labor. What a massive disappointment. Local councils, a number in Hume, are still trying to make up for the funds that were promised but never budgeted.

In an audit of the third and fourth RDAF funding rounds under Labor, published in November 2014, the Australian National Audit Office was blunt:

… there was not a clear trail through the assessment stages to demonstrate that the projects awarded funding were those that had the greatest merit …

It was very clear. Referring to round four, specifically, the ANAO said:

… 56 per cent of those applications awarded funding had been assessed by the department to not satisfactorily meet one or more of the selection criteria.

They do not meet the selection criteria.

I sit on the parliament's Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, and I have to tell you that this kind of wasteful, unbudgeted chaos will never pass muster again—certainly not under this government's watch. Handouts to electorates have changed. They had to. The new era of probity is welcome.

Getting funding into regional communities via federal grant programs means identifying relevant programs and doing the work to complete applications to a high standard.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Let the member speak.

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those who know me realise I love nothing more than being out on the road, talking to locals and finding solutions. Hume is reaping the benefits as a result. We are pulling huge dollars into the electorate in the wake of these infrastructure announcements. We are also having impressive success in other federal programs.

In Hume, 27,500 premises are on the 18-month NBN roll out.

Opposition members interjecting—

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have five Green Army projects, joint state and federal funding for the Barton Highway Improvement Strategy, Safer Streets funding, Anniversary Landcare Grants, as well as one of the highest numbers of successful Anzac Centenary grant applications of any electorate.

I will continue to work closely with local councils and community groups to ensure we see more success in 2015.