Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) denounces the Queensland Government's underinvestment in infrastructure throughout the state;

(2) notes that:

(a) the Queensland Government:

  (i) has savagely cut infrastructure spending in Queensland, sapping confidence and costing jobs; and

  (ii) slashed infrastructure spending by more than $2 billion in its first year in office;

(b) over the next four years, infrastructure spending has been cut by almost $3 billion; and

(c) the Queensland Government:

  (i) has not funded one new major infrastructure project in two years in office; and

  (ii) is more interested in political point scoring than working collaboratively with the Australian Government on new infrastructure projects; and

(3) calls on the Queensland Government to reverse this concerning trend and deliver infrastructure that the people of Queensland require and the Queensland economy desperately needs.

I move this motion on reflection of the fact that the Queensland government's spending on infrastructure has been a disastrous underinvestment throughout the state. The Queensland government has savagely cut infrastructure spending in Queensland, sapping confidence and costing jobs. It has slashed infrastructure spending by more $2 billion in its first year in office. Over the next four years, infrastructure spending has been cut by almost $3 billion. The Queensland government has not funded one new major infrastructure project in its two years in office. It is more interested in political pointscoring than working collaboratively with the Australian government on new infrastructure projects. This motion calls on the Queensland government to reverse this concerning trend and deliver infrastructure that the people of Queensland require and that the Queensland economy desperately needs.

The Australian government is focused on delivering key infrastructure priorities in Queensland—

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about the M1?

Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in particular our 2016 election commitments, including the Pacific Motorway Gateway merge and the Pacific Motorway Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes section. We have committed our share of funding to these important projects, however these projects have slowed thanks to the Queensland Labor government and their underinvestment in vital infrastructure.

A report released by the RPS Group which analyses ABS data shows public sector spending on infrastructure in Queensland is at record lows since 2006, and half the rate of expenditure it was five years ago. Queensland's public spending on infrastructure is at a 10-year low. While future generations will suffer for it, frustrated Queenslanders are suffering now. I talk to people regularly, every single day, who are frustrated at the lack of infrastructure being built not only on the M1 corridor. The member for Wright is here and he has the Mount Lindesay Highway and the Beaudesert Salisbury rail line, and I know the member for Wright is an advocate for those very important infrastructure projects that affect both of our electorates.

The coalition government is focused on delivering infrastructure for the 21st century, including in Queensland. Our current commitment to Queensland's land transport infrastructure is $12.1 billion from 2013-14 through to 2019-20. While the Queensland government slashes infrastructure spending, the Turnbull coalition government is investing billions of dollars improving Queensland's transport networks. Infrastructure related election commitments in Queensland from the federal government total some $496.2 million, which is a substantial further investment in projects in Queensland to drive productivity, economic growth and employment. This includes a commitment of $215 million to Pacific Motorway Gateway merge project in a combination of Rankin, Moreton and Bonner, and the Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes upgrade project. In addition, the Australian government has committed over $223 million towards projects in Queensland under the Northern Australia Roads Program and over $56 million under the Northern Australia Beef Roads Program.

While the Queensland government is fighting over the 80-20 funding split for works on the M1 Pacific Motorway, these projects have historically been funded 50-50 due to the high levels of urban traffic that use that corridor. The Australian government stands by its commitment on these two projects and has agreed to front-load the funding of these projects to allow the progression of the expression of interest process to begin on the Pacific Motorway Gateway merge and also the Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes project.

Mr Dick interjecting—

The member for Oxley interjects, and he will get his chance in a minute, but I will just remind the member for Oxley that our money sits on the table; the state government has not come up with a cent at this point.

I am very pleased to say that we are continuing to work with the Queensland government to finalise the funding splits, with the outcomes from the EOI process to inform the discussions. It is frustrating, however, that the Queensland Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports, Mark Bailey, has continued to play politics over this matter. As recently as October 2016, he publicly claimed that the Australian government had short-changed Queensland, as the funding committed through both the northern Australia roads programs was below the notional allocation outlined in the budget of 2016. The budget paper highlighted that state allocations had not yet been determined. Despite the fact that the government's commitment to Queensland is lower than what was notionally allocated, Queensland will still receive more than a third of the available funding under the Northern Australia Roads Program and more than half the funding available under the Northern Australia Beef Roads Program. For Mr Bailey to say that the Australian government is short-changing Queensland is simply not correct, and any such suggestion is an insult when you lay out the billions of dollars we are investing in Queensland.

We have committed up to $6.7 billion to a 10-year program of works on the Bruce Highway, with a list of projects and packages targeted at improving safety, flood mitigation and reducing congestion as part of its plan. We are providing up to $1.37 billion on the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, which is the largest Australian government commitment to a single regional road project in Queensland's history. We have committed $914.2 million to the Gateway Upgrade North project, which is expected to deliver a range of benefits, including supporting economic growth, and improving accessibility to Australia TradeCoast, Port of Brisbane and Brisbane airport—reducing travel time delays and improving safety and performance. We have also committed $508 million to a package of works totalling $635 million on the Warrego Highway between Toowoomba and Miles, as well as $200 million towards the Ipswich Motorway Rocklea to Darra upgrade—so, there, Member for Oxley, is the answer to your earlier question—and $208 million to the Cape York Region Package to upgrade road access to Cape York.

From a rail perspective, the Australian government has committed an additional $593.7 million in equity for the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project in addition to the $300 million previously committed. We are also undertaking a study to explore the potential to extend the scope of the Inland Rail project to Gladstone and will also be working with the Queensland government to identify Brisbane freight needs, including connection to the Port of Brisbane. The coalition government is investing $150 million towards the Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor, which will provide a new eight-kilometre rail freight line connecting the North Coast Line to the Port of Townsville. In South-East Queensland we are investing $95 million towards stage 2 of the Gold Coast light rail network as well as funding for smaller off-network projects such as road maintenance funding and projects funded under subprograms such as the Black Spot Program, Roads to Recovery, the Bridges Renewal Program, the National Highway Upgrade Program and the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program. I do not think that any of this list shows that we are short-changing Queensland at all.

Regardless of Queensland Labor's banter and politicking, we will continue to work with them to deliver the infrastructure needed to increase productivity and improve efficiency on Queensland's transport network. However, if we are to be successful we need the Queensland Labor government to stop playing games and spreading misinformation about funding agreements and commit to their fair share of the infrastructure projects. I am calling on the Queensland government to reverse their concerning trend of reduced infrastructure expenditure and deliver the infrastructure that the people of Queensland desperately need to get the Queensland economy growing and get jobs again for the Queensland economy.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Scott Buchholz (Wright, 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

This is an attempt to distract from the federal government's failed infrastructure agenda, an agenda characterised by cuts, delays and reannouncements. When we were in government, we increased funding per capita in Queensland for infrastructure from $109 to $301 for every Queenslander. We actually built things.

In the member's rhetoric that he went through there, he had the hide to raise a number of programs, including the Ipswich Motorway. We contributed $2½ billion to the Ipswich Motorway and put in the 2013 budget the Darra to Rocklea money that they just tried to claim. It has been sitting there. It would have been under construction by now had we been re-elected. They had the hide to turn up at the Moreton Bay Rail Link opening—$742 million. The link was first promised in 1895 but delivered by a federal Labor government, in conjunction with the state Labor government.

They had the hide to raise Gold Coast Light Rail. They actually opposed the project, to which $365 million was contributed by us. They opposed it every single step of the way. They went out there and told shopkeepers, 'You'll lose your businesses,' and actually organised petitions and spoke in this parliament against that project. For phase 2, they took the money from the savings that we had contributed for the Moreton Bay Rail Link, made on that project—not one dollar of additional funding.

On the Bruce Highway, they contributed, when they were in government, $1.3 billion over 12 years. We contributed $7.6 billion over six years, four times the funding in half the time. That was our record. Areas like the Cooroy to Curra section were ignored by the local member even though he was the transport minister. He could not deliver a dollar for that project.

There was the Warrego Highway upgrade. The Cape York road package was put by us in the 2013 budget. Since then it has been reannounced by those opposite seven separate times, pretending that it is a new project. There is the Gladstone Port Access Road, the Peak Downs Highway, the Townsville Ring Road and the Townsville Port Access Road—all of these projects. The Gateway Upgrade North was contributed by us. It had begun at the time of the election. There is the Mains and Kessels Road intersection, the Pacific Motorway upgrade and Legacy Way, the first time that a Commonwealth government has combined with a local government for a major project, with then Lord Mayor Newman. Five hundred million dollars was our contribution to delivering that project. All of these projects were delivered by us when we were in government. Of course, there is the Cross River Rail project, approved by Infrastructure Australia in 2012, funded in 2013 and stopped by those opposite and cut in late 2013. That would have been well under construction by now.

Of course, what they do then is attack the Labor state government over issues like the M1-Gateway merge. We are going to fund it; the state government want to fund it. You have done nothing about it. You are now in your fourth year of government and you are struggling to come up with anything at all. The Queensland Labor government have put in place a state infrastructure plan. They have passed a new planning act. They have established Building Queensland. The fact is that the federal government have failed completely. I say to the honourable member opposite that he should not come in here and talk about what the state Labor government should do. What he should do is talk to the National Party, who hold the infrastructure portfolio, and demand some actual investment—not re-announcement of projects already funded but announcement of some new projects that will boost productivity, create jobs and assist the great state of Queensland.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My community in the electorate of Fisher has suffered a great deal from the indecision and lack of leadership from the Queensland Labor state government. I am grateful to the member for Forde for giving me the opportunity to once again ask the Deputy Premier and her colleagues: when are you going to come to the party and do your bit to get the much-needed infrastructure that the Sunshine Coast deserves? My community is being transformed by its own success. We have new cities springing up around us, at the Aura development in the not too distant future, at Palmview and at Beerwah east. We have an exciting new CBD at Maroochydore. We have new medical facilities and an expanded airport. It is indeed an exciting time to live and work on the Sunshine Coast.

Last week, the respected Australian demographer Bernard Salt launched his report The activated city. If he is correct, we will see more than 200,000 people moving to the coast by 2040. We will have younger people, more families with kids and more people moving and working around our region. Axiomatically, an active and vibrant community of 550,000 people cannot thrive and prosper with infrastructure designed for 150,000. The people of Fisher know exactly what we need. We need an upgraded Bruce Highway from Caboolture to Caloundra—there was nothing about that mentioned by the member for Grayndler; we need a duplicated railway line all the way to Nambour—there was nothing about that mentioned by the member for Grayndler; and we need light rail on the eastern side of the highway—there was nothing about that mentioned by the member for Grayndler. In fact, the member for Grayndler did not mention one single thing that the Labor Party has ever done for Fisher. We also need upgraded local roads like the Mooloolah River interchange, Caloundra Road, Kawana Way and the Bells Creek arterial.

That is why I have worked closely with the federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to ensure that the Commonwealth government are doing all that we can. In September last year, we announced the long-awaited upgrade of the Caloundra Road-Sunshine Motorway project. This investment will cost $920.3 million, to widen the highway to six lanes as well as upgrade the Sunshine Motorway and Caloundra Road interchanges. Infrastructure spending like this pays dividends for our community. This upgrade alone will deliver a benefit to the Sunshine Coast of more than $4 billion in improved productivity. In total, the coalition have completed 10 projects out of our 10-year, $6.7 billion commitment to upgrade the Bruce Highway, but in my electorate we now urgently need an upgrade to the highway between Caboolture and Caloundra. We need to widen the highway between those areas to six or even eight lanes and we need to flood-proof the road between Caboolture and Steve Irwin Way. While other projects all over Australia progress through Infrastructure Australia's priority list, secure federal support and get underway, the missing link—the upgrade of the highway—has stalled. Why? Because the state Labor government are dragging their feet. It is trapped in the mire of the do-nothing Labor government's endless round of eternal inquiries and reviews. This must end today. So I ask Minister Trad: when are you going to fast-track the Bruce Highway planning study and let us get on with this critical upgrade?

We cannot rely on road alone. It is also vital that we duplicate the North Coast rail line. That same piece of railway line is 100 years old and has been untouched since then. The upgrade has long been promised by state Labor governments but they have never delivered. It was the LNP that finally came up with a firm proposal in 2015 to upgrade the line between Beerburrum and Landsborough. I have pursued this upgrade at a federal level since my first speech in parliament. I have had many constructive conversations with Minister Chester, but they have fallen on deaf ears at a state level. Not once has the state Labor government contacted Minister Chester and spoken to him about that upgrade. I ask Minister Trad: when are you going to pick up the phone and talk to Minister Chester and get this project happening and make it a reality? I ask the House to join with me in calling on the state Labor government to stop putting their union mates before the people of Queensland and get the Sunshine Coast the infrastructure it deserves. (Time expired)

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to speak on this motion, and listening to the member for Forde feels like we have entered an alternative universe. Of all the people in this parliament and of all the people who wanted to come in and talk about infrastructure, the member for Forde would want to talk about infrastructure issues in his own electorate that he continues to neglect. I will allow my colleague the member for Rankin, who has spoken and advocated so strongly on critical infrastructure for the southern part of Brisbane, to deal with the member for Forde. I want to talk about what is happening in the southwest of Brisbane, and I want to talk particularly about the hypocrisy by those opposite, who feel that they can in some way come into this place and lecture anyone about infrastructure in Queensland. We have had a state Labor government that has picked up the carnage that was delivered by the Newman government. You want to talk about infrastructure. The former government sacked people, put them on the scrap heap and attempted to sell off essential assets, and then we saw critical projects abandoned.

I will focus on a couple of things in my contribution today. I note in the motion that the member for Forde talks about no infrastructure being built. The challenge I issue to him today is that there is a $163 million state government investment for the rail duplication from Coomera to Helensvale. I will challenge the member for Forde about whether he will go to that opening when the cameras come and when the ribbon happens. I suspect he will. He is happy to come in here and bag everyone and not defend his own record or explain to his own constituency and community why he has failed them time and time again. There is a reason why you got a massive swing against you at the last election. That is because of the neglect that those opposite have treated the people of Queensland with. He did not mention a major infrastructure project that sits right at his doorstep.

We know that the Palaszczuk Labor government is cleaning up the mess from the Newman legacy, and we know that the government has allocated $850 million for the Cross River Rail, more than any other government. It is ready to go. And we know this sorry tale of Cross River Rail, abandoned by those opposite and by the Newman government, who came up with the fantasy idea of the BaT, the bus and train tunnel, on which his own ministers after the election went out and said: 'We made it up. We made the whole thing up.' That is your legacy in Queensland. That is your legacy, through you, Mr Deputy Speaker—

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Oxley will withdraw comments through the chair.

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr Deputy Speaker. Through you, I say to the member for Forde: that is your legacy of delivering for Queensland. There is little wonder why—through you, Mr Deputy Speaker—your leader in the Senate describes the current opposition leader as 'very, very ordinary', because he was the architect behind these savage cuts and the lack of infrastructure spend, particularly when it comes to Cross River Rail. They have a gall coming in here and talking about infrastructure in Queensland.

I want to talk about the most important infrastructure project in my electorate, the Darra to Rocklea upgrade. As we heard from the member for Grayndler, money allocated by the federal Labor government, $200 million, is sitting in the budget. Four years later, what has happened?

It took a Labor state government, the same people they want to decry, to get this project going. It took Bill Shorten and the federal Labor team to announce this project. Then, after four years and at five minutes to midnight, the hopeless, dysfunctional coalition government honoured their commitment. Well, I say it is four years too late. It is four years that my local residents have had to sit in traffic, day in, day out, without getting home to their families and without school students being able to get to and from school. They were trapped in coalition gridlock. That is the legacy of those opposite. Do not come in here and lecture anyone about infrastructure, because, when you look at the spend that is happening right now, a $40 billion capital program will deliver 31,000 jobs this year alone. We know that the state Labor government has delivered the first state infrastructure plan and backed it with $2 billion worth of state infrastructure funding. We know that, time and time again, when it comes to delivering infrastructure and when it comes to the south-west of Brisbane, the people can rely on a state Labor government and, in the future, a federal Labor government to get them home on time. (Time expired).

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the member for Forde's motion condemning the Palaszczuk Labor government for failing the people of Queensland and my constituents of Capricornia. Regional Queensland will come undone without new infrastructure investment. The regions are struggling to create the diverse economies they need to be sustainable. Great opportunities exist to bridge this gap, but the Palaszczuk government continues to cut funding for vital infrastructure to get these industries going. This is costing us jobs and livelihood. No investment means no new jobs. Unemployment is up and job vacancies are down. Investment in the state has reduced and the constant Brisbane-centric focus on investment is destroying regional communities in my electorate of Capricornia. In Rockhampton, the jobless figures confirm the situation. The latest data shows the unemployment rate in Rockhampton at a staggering 7.5 per cent. This is compared to 6.3 per cent throughout Queensland and 5.7 per cent Australia wide. The labour market has worsened over the last year, with the policies of the Palaszczuk government costing 32,200 hardworking Queenslanders their jobs. Take Rookwood Weir near Gogango. It has been in planning for years. Construction was promised in 2011 by the Beattie government. Fifty per cent of constructions costs, or $130 million, was funded by the federal government, and $2 million was given, again by the federal government, to build the business case. Yet just last week we were told they will not consider the business case until the third quarter. Meanwhile, 400 families are missing out on the construction-phase jobs and 2,100 workers and investors in agriculture are being denied opportunities. The wider community is missing out on the 4,000 flow-on full-time jobs in Capricornia. You would hope that having the state minister for agriculture in your electorate would be a good thing. If Bill Byrne was serious about his electorate and agriculture, he would fast-track the Premier's sign-off for Rookwood Weir and give the people of regional Queensland a fighting chance for survival.

The Palaszczuk government cannot argue that the lack of infrastructure spending is an attempt to fix the budget. Since coming to power, the Queensland Public Service has jumped by 16,000 full-time equivalent positions, throwing an extra $2 billion debt onto the budget. Construction jobs and building infrastructure will create the flow-on effects needed for the economies of Central Queensland. Instead, the budget is going to Brisbane based bureaucrats who sit in George Street scratching their heads over what project they can delay next. Despite promising to deliver much-needed infrastructure, capital works have been slashed by $2.3 billion across Queensland. It currently sits at the lowest level as a percentage of the state's economy. Energy projects, road projects, and health and building projects are all delayed and are all focused on the south-east, with the occasional lip service to the far north. There is plenty of opportunity but no delivery—and all to keep the Greens happy to buy inner-city votes. Rookwood Weir, Great Keppel Island, Walkerston—all sitting waiting for approvals as the jobs slip by.

This is in contrast to the commitments delivered by the coalition government to the people of Capricornia and Central Queensland. During my first term in parliament, over $550 million in funding was secured for job-creating infrastructure projects throughout my electorate and another $330 million of water, jobs and growth plan committed during the 2016 election—$880 million worth of job-creating infrastructure projects that will create the diverse economy needed to provide jobs. This needs to be backed by project approvals and state-owned infrastructure development to get industry moving.

It is time to stop the empty rhetoric and get on with the job of building Queensland. And it is time to deliver jobs for the people of Capricornia , the people of Rockhampton, the people of Keppel, Mirani and Gregory—the people of Queensland. With a state election due this year, I am looking forward to working with the strong LNP team of Tim Nicholls and Deb Frecklington. Thank you.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For too long now, my community, the people of my community and businesses of my community have wasted hour after hour after hour in traffic on the M1, because the LNP could not care less about them. So imagine my surprise when I saw on the Notice Paper that the member for Forde was the one moving this motion. I thought that there had been some kind of typo. I thought that there had been some kind of mistake but I checked and, no, it really was the member for Forde who was leading with his chin by moving this pathetic little motion. This member of all members moving this motion of all motions is a characteristically feeble attempt to shift the blame for his own lack of influence over infrastructure funding.

If they want to talk about infrastructure and they want to talk about Queensland and they want to talk about neglect, let's talk about Queensland and infrastructure and neglect. And let's us talk about the M1 freeway because that is a symbol of what this government thinks about my community in Logan City and the surrounding suburbs. This is a symbol of the member for Forde's total inability after seven years as a member, four of these years in government, to trouble the scorers whatsoever when it comes to some kind of commitment to the M1 freeway in my community.

I know a bit about the M1. I worked out that I have lived for almost all of my life within a kilometre or two of the freeway itself at Underwood, at Rochedale South, at Springwood, at Daisy Hill. I remember fondly one of my first jobs delivering pizzas for Eagle Boys up and down the freeway, in and out of Logan Central, Woodridge and Kingston, in and around Marsden, up north into Rochedale South, Rochedale, Underwood and all of those suburbs. So I would like to think I know a little bit about that freeway, getting off and on between exits 19 and 23 where I have lived for almost all of my life.

And I am proud to have taken to the last election a $168 million commitment to fix the Gateway merge southbound, a commitment that I made with a great local champion in Des Hardman. We made that commitment at a community forum hosted by Bill Shorten in Beenleigh, and I am proud that we did that after all that consideration and all that consultation. I am proud that it has been Labor that has invested in the Logan stretch of the M1—$312 million when we were last in government—because I know what it means to the families and businesses and our community. So does our chamber of commerce, so does our local council, so do our local members like Mick de Brenni, Shannon Fentiman, Cameron Dick and all of those terrific local representatives. So does Minister Bailey and Premier Palaszczuk. So does Senator Murray Watt, Anthony Chisholm and all of our senators but, most importantly of all, our community knows how important the M1 is.

What a contrast when you look at the record of those opposite: not a cent delivered in upgrades in the Logan stretch of the M1 in the four years they have had in government. That is not a disappointing record. That is not an underwhelming record. It is not a record at all. There is no record whatsoever to speak of and so, instead we get this half-baked announcement made in the dying days of the 2016 election, trying to pretend that a fifty-fifty split with the government will get it endorsed when they knew and we knew—everybody knew—that that commitment was just designed to paper over their lack of attention and their lack of commitment over so many years. No amount of motions, no amount of pathetic motions, like this will cover up for that fact. Is it any wonder that the member for Forde has slunk out of this chamber? Having moved the motion so courageously, gotten up and read out from his prepared notes, as he always does, he has slunk out of here. He has gone missing from this chamber like he has gone missing from the community in Logan City. It is pathetic.

Enough is enough. We need to see work start in those key upgrades, particularly the Gateway M1 southbound merge. As was reported last week in two good local papers—the Logan Reporter and the Albert & Logan NewsLabor has committed to support any compromise between the state and federal governments which sees work underway on this important stretch of freeway, because it has gone on long enough. We intend to play a constructive role in fixing the LNP's mess, because every minute wasted is a stunning illustration of the lack of influence of those opposite on the M1, particularly the member for Forde. He is not in here moving a motion about federal investment, because of Labor's proud record outlined by the member for Grayndler—things like that terrific investment out west, towards the member for Oxley's electorate and the member for Blair's electorate, which came after so much advocacy from both of them and the former member for Oxley. The member for Forde was too ashamed and too embarrassed to move a motion about federal funding.

I say to the member for Forde: get on and do what you are paid to do. Stand up for our community, who deserve better than your feeble and fumbling ineptitude and your sneering disdain for them and for our suburbs. (Time expired)

John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the current Labor Queensland government's underinvestment in infrastructure across Queensland. Our electorate of Groom in the Darling Downs has been overlooked by successive Queensland Labor governments when it comes to infrastructure. The single largest piece of infrastructure being built in regional Australia right now is the $1.6 billion Toowoomba Second Range Crossing. It was the LNP government in Queensland that signed the original agreements with the then federal government. I knew because I was the acting Treasurer at the time, and I signed them alongside the then federal Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development and Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Warren Truss.

Federal and state Labor governments have continued to ignore the priority of that nation-building project many years over. In Groom, the Wagner family has built the first greenfield jet-capable airport in 44 years. They did it in 18 months. The Gardner family is investing in a world-class technology park and data hub. The federal government is providing majority support to the $508 million Warrego Highway Upgrade Program, west of Toowoomba. We are absolutely committed to the Inland Rail project, yet another national nation-building project. But Queensland public spending is at a 10-year low according to an RPS Group analysis of ABS data.

We knew before the last state election that Labor's disloyalty to the regions throughout Queensland could be exposed, and they confirmed that by scrapping the successful Royalties for the Regions program. Under the leadership of Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney in 2012, the LNP created the Royalties for the Regions program to fund the roads, bridges, water infrastructure and flood mitigation that regional communities desperately needed after 20 years of Labor neglect. We committed $495 million over four years to fund the projects that regional Queensland has needed in their local areas, and we delivered.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To those opposite: what is the problem with the flood-proofing of Blakeys Crossing in Townsville that we did, the Kin Kora roundabout upgrade in Gladstone, the ring road and flood mitigation in Toowoomba, the flood levee bank project in Roma, the revitalisation of the Cooktown Foreshore and the brand-new swimming pool for the remote community of Karumba in the gulf? Queensland Labor scrapped that program. It is, therefore, music to my ears, as it would be for all Queenslanders, to hear Deb Frecklington, the deputy leader of the Queensland opposition and the shadow minister for infrastructure, state development, trade and investment, announce that the LNP would bring back the Royalties for the Regions program with another half a billion dollars committed, thereby, once again, returning investment to the very regions that create the wealth and the very communities Queensland Labor continues to ignore.

We have seen Queensland Labor governments stalling on water infrastructure. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, is pushing hard on our federal coalition government's history-making $2.5 billion water investment. He has $130 million on the table for the construction of Central Queensland's Rookwood Weir. In 2006 Peter Beattie, then Queensland Premier, said he would construct it, but all of his successors, including those now in 2017, are not interested at all.

This and other projects identified by the Deputy Prime Minister are aimed at unlocking Queensland's full economic and productive potential. But I am sad to say that Queensland Labor has simply dropped the ball. The Queensland Labor government needs to get on with the job and stop delaying the construction of that project, in particular, from being supported by the federal government. The creation of around 2,100 new jobs would go with it. The Queensland Labor government needs to address its severe underinvestment in infrastructure throughout Queensland.

Mr Dick interjecting—

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Oxley will contain himself.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The previous member for Groom actually promised in his maiden speech, in 1998, that the second range crossing for Toowoomba would be built, he hoped, by 2005. It is now being completed by the Palaszczuk Labor government, with the cooperation of this government. He promised that. In a debate that I had with him, with the council of South-East Queensland mayors, he put up some money towards it, but it was not anywhere near the money that was needed. It was a false economy. He was like he was saying, 'I'll give my daughter $70 to buy a pair of sneakers,' when they cost $170. He claimed it was going to be done. The member for Groom should have a chat to his predecessor.

Let us have a look at infrastructure in Queensland. We are talking about a four-year program of $40 billion by the Palaszczuk government. Ten per cent of the hours worked on those projects, which will create 31,000 jobs, will be done by apprentices. The Turnbull-Abbott government have seen 130,000 fewer apprenticeships in this country since they came into office.

You want to talk about infrastructure in South-East Queensland? I campaigned in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013 for the Ipswich Motorway upgrade from Dinmore to Darra. This mob made a campaign commitment in 2010 to actually stop construction on the Ipswich Motorway. That is what Warren Truss, the then Deputy Leader of the Opposition, said in October 2009 in this place. He said he would stop construction. That is 10,000 jobs in South-East Queensland, and guess what—the LNP would stop construction. What happened in the May 2013 budget? We put in money, hundreds of millions of dollars.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be order! The odd interjection is acceptable up here, but not open warfare.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not affecting my delivery. I am continuing. In May 2013 we put hundreds of millions of dollars in the budget to kickstart the Darra to Rocklea section. Twelve thousand freight vehicles a day and 93,000 commuters every day go through that section. Guess what. We had a situation where the Abbott government took the Ipswich Motorway upgrade from Darra to Rocklea of the National Land Transport Network and ripped the money away from Queensland. And they have got the gall to move motions like this here. It took Bill Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition, the now member for Oxley, the member for Moreton and I to stand there and make a commitment and to shame the Turnbull government into finally putting the money towards the Ipswich Motorway upgrade from Darra to Rocklea. It was the first time the LNP have ever made a commitment and put any money towards the Ipswich Motorway. It was the first time ever. So do not come to this place and give us lectures about infrastructure.

What about other infrastructure across the region? What have they done in relation to my area and the Willowbank Interchange? We need to make a commitment there, because the RAAF base at Amberley is having a $1 billion upgrade. So we need an upgrade on that area of the Cunningham Highway from Yamanto to Ebenezer Creek. We need that done. And what have this mob done in their time in office? Nothing. We had Minister Payne come out to my area and say, 'This is a good idea for an aerospace precinct,' but nothing was done. They made false commitments in terms of a veteran support centre up there, of $1 million. But where has it been done? I have written to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Dan Tehan, saying, 'Get it done.' But listen to the commitment of these people. Look at what they have done in our region and look at what Labor has done.

We know there has been infrastructure in our region. The member for Oxley would know the Orion pool. We have seen the USQ upgrade. We have seen funding to a whole range of areas in our region—things like Studio 188 and the North Ipswich Reserve precinct being upgraded, a whole range of projects for Ipswich. It is fantastic. This mob opposite do nothing and have the gall, the hide, to come into this place and move motions like this. We are lectured by those opposite, who sacked 60,000 Queenslanders and got rejected at the election.

Honourable members interjecting—

You were absolutely part of it. You skipped out before you could get turfed out. That is what happened, and those opposite should hang their heads in shame. (Time expired)

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) 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.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:3 1