Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

  That this House:

(1) recognises the importance of well-developed transport links in regional Australia and the role they play in linking rural and regional communities;

(2) acknowledges the significant role that the Government has played in funding road and rail projects around Australia, especially in the electoral division of Durack;

(3) recognises that the Government is building our future by delivering over $50 billion in critical road and rail infrastructure in 2013-14 to 2019-20; and

(4) congratulates the Government for having national economic plan that backs growth in our cities and regions.

I am very pleased today to speak to my private member's business motion highlighting the Turnbull government's extensive work in boosting Australia's transport links throughout our vast country, but particularly in regional and rural areas. This federal government is investing a record $50 billion—yes, $50 billion—in our country's land transport infrastructure, which not only links regional and rural communities to each other and to metropolitan areas but also creates jobs along the way throughout the country. And let's not forget this is the biggest infrastructure investment program in Australian history. It is worth underlining that very important point.

Earlier this month, I was very pleased to announce that I am building on the road improvements which I have delivered since I was elected some three years ago with the announcement of 11 upgrades of roads through round 5 of the Turnbull government's Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program. Over $1.9 million will go towards constructing the Port Hedland road train assembly area, which is adjacent to the town of Port Hedland's zoned area for heavy vehicle industries. It is a much-needed addition to Port Hedland, I can assure you, Madam Deputy Speaker Wicks. In the Wheatbelt, there are a plethora of road upgrades, including the upgrade of the Northam-Pithara Road, which includes a 23-kilometre widening stretch of the Ballidu-Pithara carriageway—again, a great boost for not only that town but also the surrounding towns. The government is constructing six truck bays on the Great Northern Highway between Wubin in the Wheatbelt and Kumarina in the Mid West.

In April this year I announced that eight road black spots in Durack would be fixed, with over $3.3 million worth of federal funding through the Black Spot Program, including the upgrade of the Hamersley Street and Napier Terrace, in Broome, which is an incredibly dangerous intersection in the Kimberley.

I did note the front page story of the Broome Advertiserwhich is a great local paper in the Kimberley—from the week of this announcement, which highlighted the importance of this particular upgrade and I quote:

The Hamersley Street and Napier Terrace junction was the site of four injury vehicle crashes in the five years to 2014.

And what one senior journalist, Glenn Cordingley, noted as 'many near misses'.

This government's commitment to creating better transport links throughout regional Australia goes beyond increased and improved roads. We are creating safer regional communities for all Australians to live in.

In this financial year alone, in Durack, this government is spending—and it is a very long list—$3.3 million on safer roads through the Black Spot Program, $35 million in Roads to Recovery payments for local councils, over $8 million in safer roads for heavy vehicles through the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, over $408 million on upgrades to the Great Northern Highway—Muchea to Wubin—the North West Coastal Highway—Minilya to Barradale—and new bridges between Barradale and Nanutarra. Finally, there is over $32 million through the National Highway Upgrade Program for the New Norcia Bypass, which I am particularly excited about, and floodways between Meekatharra and Newman.

Earlier this month, on this side of the chamber, we illustrated our commitment to jobs and small businesses by introducing legislation which will support the 3.2 million small businesses who employ around 5.5 million Australians. The Turnbull government is getting on with the job. We are implementing part of our policy platform—the coalition's 10-year enterprise tax plan—which saw the government re-elected in July. This bill will assist with building jobs and growth in regional, rural and remote areas—reducing the corporate tax rate to 27½ per cent from 1 July this year for 870, 000 incorporated businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million.

Our record infrastructure investment is creating tens of thousands of jobs across Australia, supporting those small businesses I just referred to, reducing congestion in our regional cities and towns and increasing the economic capacity of our freight routes, not to mention improving safety for road users and supporting tourism.

I commend to the House the work that the Turnbull government is doing to boost transport across Australia: improving links for the safety of the people who live in regional Australia, increasing opportunities for tourism and supporting those small businesses which are the lifeblood of regional Australia.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If words and rhetoric could be turned into bitumen we could have duplicated Highway 1 many times over the last few years. If words and rhetoric could be turned into rail track we could have solved urban congestion. The fact is that this government has failed when it comes to infrastructure.

These are the facts: according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics public sector infrastructure investment fell by 20 per cent in the coalition government's first two years in office. For three years the Abbott and Turnbull government has failed to commence a major new project in Western Australia that was not planned by the former Labor government and funded in budgets it inherited from the former Labor government—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting Suspended from 12:09 to 12:31

In order to hide its inadequate action, the government has gone on a magical infrastructure re-announcement tour. That began just weeks after the 2013 election, when the former transport minister boasted that the government would deliver the Perth Gateway WA project. This was a project that, during the WA Senate by-election, the government pretended was new, but some of it had already even opened at that point. Cars were already travelling on some parts of the road.

We have seen it here again today with the member for Durack speaking about the North West Coastal Highway, the Port Hedland improvements projects, the Great Northern Highway—Muchea to Wubin—the Black Spot Program and the Roads to Recovery Program. All of those have not a single dollar of coalition government funding in them. They were all done by the former Labor government, just like we funded the Swan Valley Bypass, just like we funded, built and opened the Great Eastern Highway project in the member for Swan's electorate. Indeed, the member for Swan was there when I, as minister, began work on Gateway WA project, and yet the government pretends that it is new. They were funded by the former Labor government, just the like duplication of the Dampier Highway, the Esperance Port Access Corridor and other projects in Western Australia. Indeed, in Western Australia there is not a major road or rail infrastructure project that was initiated by the coalition.

What we saw during the election campaign was nothing short of pathetic. The coalition allocated more than $850 million to 78 new road projects under its program. Of those projects, 76 out of 78 were in electorates held by the coalition at the time of the election, 46 of the 78 projects were in New South Wales and 11 were in Queensland. There were none in Victoria, and in Western Australia, of the 78 projects, there were three in the entire state. By contrast, Tasmania, which happened to have the three amigos—now known as the three oncers—in their marginal seats in Tasmania, had 15 project. There were 15 in Tasmania and three in the entire state of Western Australia.

The member for Durack spoke about the Roads to Recovery Program and financial assistance grants through local government. The government cut $925 million in road funding via financial assistance grants to local government when it froze indexation in 2014. Indeed, one of the worst affected electorates was Durack—$71 million in cuts as a result of that. The fact is that this government has failed when it comes to infrastructure, has failed when it comes to building important roads and failed when it comes to public transport. This is a government without an agenda when it comes to nation-building which has marginalised Infrastructure Australia and politicised the entire infrastructure agenda, which is consistent with a government that has no plan for a stronger economy, just a plan for stronger rhetoric.

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the member for Durack for this excellent motion and recognise the importance of well developed transport links in regional Australia—in her electorate, she would understand this better than most—and I acknowledge the significant role the government has played in funding road and rail projects around Australia. I note, member of Durack, you focused on those particular projects in your electorate that are making the most difference, and I commend you for that.

Of course, there are some projects that, in spite of what we heard from Labor, they cannot claim, despite of their best attempts. Of course, one of those is in my electorate, member for Durack. There is some very good news on the horizon for all producers of quality products in the south-west of Western Australia. During the recent campaign, I was very proud to announce that a re-elected coalition government will invest $9.78 million in expanding—

A government member: In new money.

in new money—the Busselton-Margaret River airport and, in doing so, give what is a critical piece of regional infrastructure an international focus—that is what we understand on this side, representing the majority of representatives of regional and rural Australia on our side of the House, and understanding the regions better than most.

The funding will add to the $56 million invested by the WA state government and the $3.5 million committed by the City of Busselton, making this project truly a partnership between all three levels of government. The expansion of this airport has been a different vision developed by the City of Busselton and embraced by the entire south-west. It was agreed it was the No. 1 project. It has been supported by all regional local governments as a key investment that will benefit the entire south-west. When federal ministers and MPs have visited in the south-west, this project has always been raised with them as a key component of the development of the entire region.

The expansion of the Busselton-Margaret River airport now embraces all possible areas of growth as envisaged by the city and its other proponents. It was supported by the city and the WA state government to expand the airport to allow direct interstate flights and, of course, the next thing was to give the tourists in the east direct access to our sublime south-west holiday experience. Particularly, we know the Margaret River region is one of the best international brands, and all of the south will benefit. Our distance from an airport able to land larger passenger jet has discouraged potential visitors—the three-hour drive and the need to hire a car or rely on buses were all disincentives—but the federal coalition government will expand that interstate reach and give this project an international flavour.

That $9.7 million will allow the expansion of the airport to take planes capable of international flights, international flights directly into the Busselton-Margaret River area. And it will also give our producers direct access to markets in Asia, making direct trade possible with some of our greatest trading partners. So this gives my south-west incredible opportunities. Imagine my south-west produce getting directly into markets like Indonesia and Singapore, our beef, our lamb, are marron, our truffles—

A government member: Our wine.

our wine into Asian restaurants and fine food shops, our fruit and dairy products in upmarket Asian supermarkets, avocados and vegetables. And, in time, imagine those same direct flights bringing Asian tourists to experience for themselves all of the great things the south-west has to offer. All of this has become possible with the investment provided by three levels of government by this coalition government.

This expansion will grow jobs, will grow industries and will grow the entire region of the South West. Direct air access will open the South West up to the world and it will open the world up to our produce. It is a game changer. It is a transformative project and it will be a real game changer for small, niche producers trying to access the international marketplace, especially in Asia. And it will be a game changer, in time, for our local tourism industry.

My next project is the Bunbury Outer Ring Road. I am working on that one all of the time to facilitate exports to complete that loop, to improve freight access into the Bunbury Port and allow efficient freight access to Perth and the South West. We need competitive international gateways. (Time expired)

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Durack for bringing this motion before the House, because it is an important topic to discuss. However, I think the premise upon which this motion rests is false. At the very start of her contribution, the member for Durack spoke of the extensive work of the Turnbull government when it comes to infrastructure connecting our regions and cities. I just do not think the facts support such a claim.

We heard extensively from the member for Durack about her own electorate, and from the Government Whip as well, but the story they told does not fit the reality of this government's approach to funding productive infrastructure—not at all. Indeed, as the member for Grayndler took us through in some detail, regional Western Australia is the area most affected by this government's nearly $1 billion worth of cuts to financial assistance grants to local government. When we talk about productive infrastructure—the infrastructure that is connecting places, products and markets—most of these are, of course, part of the legacy of the former Labor government, claimed by a government that fails to make the necessary investments to secure a productive future for all of us. Why this motion is so important is that it highlights a critical failing of this government, under the current Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister—and perhaps the future Prime Minister, the member for Warringah, as well.

Infrastructure, and particularly cities, is the place where the gap between this government's rhetoric and the reality of its performance is most starkly evident, where it becomes most clear. We just have to look back to the record of the former government, where we saw Australia go from 20th in the OECD in terms of infrastructure and investment to No. 1. What has happened since, as the number for Grayndler has made very, very clear, is that we have seen neglect. The ABS demonstrate that public sector engineering work is now down by more than a fifth since the end of the former Labor government.

Recent reports on the state of Australian infrastructure make for troubling reading. I am thinking in particular of Infrastructure Australia's recent report. They are troubling reading in terms of the scale of the challenge—a challenge which has been compounded, not alleviated, by the inaction of this government. We see the cost of underinvestment in land transport approaching $53 billion by 2031. Much of this cost is the cost of congestion inhibiting productivity growth in our major cities. This government has no answer to that. One of its first actions was to abolish the Major Cities Unit. Whatever the new Prime Minister says, it is clear that he has abandoned cities; he has abandoned urban policy. Glossy brochures entitled Smart cities do not make up for the failure to act, the failure to invest, the failure to focus on those investments most calculated to boost productivity and sustain our living standards into the future.

The member for Grayndler, the Leader of the Opposition and all of us in the Labor team are up for the challenge of investing in productive infrastructure at large and, in particular, in my home state of Victoria. Victoria comprises about a quarter of Australia's population but is receiving only about eight per cent of this government's infrastructure investment. This is despite the extraordinary growth that is taking place in my home town of Melbourne at the moment. This is extraordinary growth which would have been supported by investments such as federal Labor's roads package and, in particular, road projects like the O'Herns Road interchange, which would support the sorts of values the member for Forrest was talking about: access for products distributed from the Melbourne markets to overseas and interstate markets. The O'Herns Road interchange has a business case that stacks up but is being ignored by Minister Chester, ignored by this government.

The Melbourne Metro project could have been underway but for the blinkered ideological refusal of the former Prime Minister to fund urban public transport. Of course, the new Prime Minister, the member for Wentworth, is very happy to be identified in selfies on public transport, but when it comes to funding city-shaping, congestion-busting infrastructure he is nowhere to be seen. He speaks of City Deals, but let's be clear about this: his City Deals are not genuine partnerships between different levels of government—they are merely devices to dedicate funding to marginal seats. And what an impact that had in the last election!

In conclusion, I look to the end of this motion before us, which says that we should congratulate the government for having a national economic plan that backs growth in our cities and regions. Sadly, the government needs to be condemned for its failure to have such a plan, and in particular for its neglect of residents in Melbourne and the growing suburbs that make up Melbourne's north in the Scullin electorate.

Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.