Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My constituency question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. I refer to the government's commitment to upgrading the South Gippsland Highway. How will this and other government infrastructure investment create jobs and support my electorate of McMillan and Victoria?

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for McMillan for his question. The member for McMillan is my electoral neighbour, and what a great neighbour he is. It is great to see him working every day, focusing on delivering for his constituency right across the McMillan electorate. He lives in one of the most spectacular parts of Victoria—one of the most scenic regions.

The issue he raised is in relation to the South Gippsland Highway. As you travel out of Melbourne and along the South Gippsland Highway through the beautiful townships of Leongatha, Meeniyan and Foster and those communities, one of the big challenges for people travelling on that part of road to Wilsons Promontory, the very popular part of Victoria, is the way that the South Gippsland Highway is falling into a state of disrepair. The member for McMillan has been a real champion of securing additional funding for that road. I was very pleased to announce during the election campaign, in partnership with the member for McMillan, a $25 million commitment from the federal government. We are urging the Victorian state government to match that funding. The Victorian state government has indicated a level of interest in supporting us in our efforts to save lives on the South Gippsland Highway.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a section of road which is primarily a state responsibility, but we have recognised that with the way the road toll is trending in Victoria at the moment this is a very serious issue, and I would encourage those opposite to take it seriously. The road toll in Victoria, particularly in regional areas, has been trending in the wrong direction over the past two years. So we have gone to the Victorian state government and put forward a package of $345 million for rural and regional roads as part of the $1.5 billion package which the Prime Minister announced earlier this year. It is a very good package, and I am very pleased that the community of McMillan, the electorate of McMillan, is going to share in that program.

The member for McMillan was able to secure $25 million for that road. In addition to securing funding for the South Gippsland Highway, the member for McMillan was also able to secure, during the election campaign, funding for another project in much demand in his community—that being the Port Welshpool Long Jetty. That has been a long fight. As long as the jetty is, the fight has been even longer for the member for McMillan, so I congratulate him on being able to achieve a funding commitment from the federal government in the order of $4.8 million for the reconstruction of that jetty. That is a heritage asset for the community. It is a jetty that was used during World War II as a base for minesweeping operations. It has been a subject of much concern in the local community over many, many years. The jetty was, unfortunately, damaged by fire and had fallen into disrepair, and it has not been repaired over the past decade. So the member for McMillan, who is an outstanding champion for his community and a tireless worker for his community, has had some great success during the election campaign in terms of securing funding not only for the South Gippsland Highway but also for the Port Welshpool Long Jetty.

I urge the Victorian state government to come on board and partner with the Commonwealth on these important projects. These projects will not only change lives in the community by helping to create jobs but they will actually save lives in the community by improving road safety. I look forward to working with the member for McMillan as we get on with the job of delivering on behalf of the people of McMillan but right across Australia and regional Victoria.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.