Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to highlight and celebrate some of the funding the federal government has delivered to the O'Connor electorate over the parliamentary break. I would then like to discuss some of the funding goals I still hope to see delivered for the electorate in the upcoming year. I congratulate the local communities across my electorate—from Norseman to Albany to Esperance to Pingelly—that have benefited from funding announcements in the last couple of months. This includes funding for airstrips, bridge upgrades, tourism projects, sporting projects, community grants, National Stronger Regions grants and national Landcare funding.

The most significant funding I would like to discuss is the $1.5 million provided by the government for an upgrade of the Norseman airstrip. When Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss announced this funding I could not have been more elated. In the lead-up to this announcement we ran a social media campaign, collected 1,000 signatures for a petition and produced a video highlighting the importance of this airstrip. The upgrade to the Norseman airstrip will mean the Royal Flying Doctor Service and emergency services will be able to land safely and provide emergency medical care. This is an outstanding result for a very deserving committee. I was delighted to personally visit the shire in early December to meet with and congratulate Shire President Jacquie Best and Chief Executive Officer Doug Stead.

The shire of Laverton also received $213,000 for its airstrip upgrade, and the Aboriginal community of Irkulka received $50,000 for its airstrip. I also congratulate the shires of Pingelly, Broomehill/Tambellup and Cranbrook for receiving National Stronger Regions round 2 funding for sporting and community projects. This funding included $3.9 million for the Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre project, $825,000 for the Nyabing Community Hub and $300,000 for the Cranbrook Shire Regional Community Hub.

In another funding win for the electorate, tourism projects in Albany, Denmark and Esperance were granted by the Minister for Tourism, Senator Richard Colbeck. Under the government's Tourism Demand Driver Infrastructure program, $250,000 was delivered towards the Albany Visitor Centre relocation, which was in addition to the nearly $1 million announced under round 1 of the National Stronger Regions Fund. The federal government also contributed $225,000 to the Southern Ports Authority in Esperance for construction of a permanent cruise ship tender jetty and pontoons. Also, the Denmark Wilderness Ocean Walk Ride Trail project will receive funding of $250,000. I am looking forward to hosting Minister Colbeck in Albany and Denmark next week to inspect the progress of those projects.

More positive news was received in January when more than $2.5 million was allocated for local bridge upgrades for the Boyup Brook and Pingelly shires. These upgrades will provide these local communities with safer, reliable road access and increase productivity for farmers in the district. National Landcare grants totalling $117,000 were also provided in areas including Esperance, the Stirling Ranges and Kendenup. It is sometimes the small funding announcements that can make a huge difference in local communities. A recent example of this was a $25,000 funding announcement for the Albany Men's Shed received under the Veteran and Community Grants program. The chairman of this Men's Shed, Michael Taylor, was very excited to receive the funding. He said it would make a much better amenity for the men in the community who use that shed. I would like to thank the responsible ministers and the community leaders from my electorate who have put in the hard yards to apply for funding and to ensure that these projects come to fruition.

While I am pleased with the goals we are kicking so far in O'Connor, there is still plenty more to do. Some of the projects that have been brought to my attention include: CCTV upgrades to improve safety for Kalgoorlie, Esperance and Albany under the Safer Streets Program—the other 43 local government authorities in my electorate will also be looking for some of that funding; a much-needed upgrade to the Goldfields drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre to increase patient capacity; a new Laverton Community Hub; a new tanker jetty in Esperance to boost tourism in the area and complement the waterfront development; funding for the Manjimup Wellness and Lifestyle Centre to allow elderly people to stay in their own community and retire gracefully; more funding to seal and upgrade the Outback Way from Laverton in my electorate to Winton in Queensland; funding to co-locate the Katanning Bowling Club and Katanning Country Club; and finance for a new accommodation building at the University of Western Australia campus in Albany. Any project that my community brings forward, I am happy to promote and champion in this place.