Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population. Will the minister update the House on how our government's congestion-busting infrastructure agenda will relieve pressure on Australian families? What are the alternatives for addressing congestion in this way?

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Goldstein for his question. As the member knows, Australia is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world, both economically and population-wise. What that means is that some of our largest centres, such as Melbourne, Sydney and South East Queensland are really feeling the pressure, because most of the growth is in those areas, and often that translates into congestion. What does that mean for everyday families? It means that they're spending more time on the road and less time with their friends and family at home. People in Brighton and Hampton in Goldstein know this, as do people in our congested suburbs right across Australia.

The government has a plan to ease this congestion, and one of the most important elements of this plan is a massive investment in congestion-busting infrastructure. Over the next 10 years we are investing $75 billion worth of congestion-busting infrastructure into major roads, into rail and into other public transport infrastructure. In places like Sydney it's projects like WestConnex and NorthConnex. In Queensland it's the Brisbane Metro, the Bruce Highway and the M1. In South Australia it's the North-South Corridor. In Western Australia it's the METRONET. In Tasmania it's the Bridgewater Bridge. In the member for Goldstein's home city of Melbourne we have the Monash Freeway being developed. We have the Monash rail being funded. We have $5 billion toward the airport rail—finally connecting up the Tullamarine Airport and the city by rail. We have a $3 billion commitment to the East West Link, which I know the member for Deakin is very interested in—

Mr Hill interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bruce is warned.

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm asked about alternatives to our congestion-busting plan. In many cases across the nation, I'm sad to inform the House, Labor has failed to commit to many of these large-scale congestion-busting projects. If I look in Victoria and in Melbourne specifically, at the Monash-Rowville rail project, there's no commitment there from the Labor Party. Fifty-five thousands students at the largest university campus in Australia will have to wait decades, should the Leader of the Opposition become Prime Minister.

A look at the airport rail: they say they'll commit to it, but how much money have they put towards it? Not a cent. It's going to be built from the Leader of the Opposition's hot air, apparently, rather than from serious dollars. The worst example in Victoria, which we know very well, is the fact that the Labor Party in Victoria spent $1.3 billion to not build a road, by cancelling the East West Link. It's viable piece of infrastructure, which we have committed to. We continue to commit to it as part of our plan— (Time expired)