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

What did former Prime Minister Tony Abbott; the former leader of the Nationals in Victoria, Peter Ryan; Christian Stefani, a council officer; Darren Chester and myself have in common, along with Vern and Cheryl Suckling, Brian and Alma Mattingly, Paul Macphall, Eddy Fowler and Rocco Maruzza—who is deceased, sadly. It is the Long Jetty at Port Welshpool. Every one of those people had something to do with the creation of the Long Jetty at Port Welshpool. I was advised by a friend of mine the other day that it's shoulder to shoulder on the Port Welshpool pier at the moment.

This was an investment of $4.9 million by the government, and it's an $11 million development. You can't get into the fish and chip store, the local store is rocking, the pub is having a whale of a time and there's nowhere to park—the council have to put in more parking. There's nowhere to go to the toilet, because it's 600 metres away. The council are going to have to put in a new toilet. This is the greatest economic boost to this area we have ever had. That means they're going to keep their primary school and the kindergarten will stay open. These things are important to small communities.

This is one of the best things, in my political time in this House, that we have ever done. I reckon that you could see the Port Welshpool Long Jetty from the moon, but the best part of it is this: I always wanted disabled people to be able to get in their wheelchair, go down and have a fish, and that's exactly what they can do now if they can find a space to get in and have a fish. This is a great project. Thanks to the whole of this parliament.