Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister: Why will only 10 per cent of the funding for safety upgrades to the Princes Highway south of Nowra be available in the next four years?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm really pleased that we're getting so many infrastructure questions today. In the last parliament, the 45th Parliament, the now opposition leader, the member for Grayndler, couldn't get a question because the member for Maribyrnong wouldn't give him one. But we're getting question after question today, which shows the renewed focus on infrastructure and the enthusiasm about our record spend—$100 billion of infrastructure that we're spending over the next 10 years. So there's a plan. It's got to have project management. There is a vision, by this side and hopefully now endorsed by that side, for infrastructure rollout over the next decade. But, member for Gilmore, you can't do it all in the first year. You can't do it all in the second year. It's got to be phased. You've got to have a plan. You've got to have vision.

I know there's not much planning or vision over that side—and that's why you are over that side—but the member for Gilmore should be very, very pleased that we are getting on with building projects in the Gilmore electorate such as the Nowra Bridge. It's $155 million that we've allocated. And when we say allocated, we will build it. We will. The Princes Highway corridor: $500 million allocated. The Eurobodalla roads upgrade: $9 million. The Shoalhaven River bridge planning: $10 million; we'll do the planning and then we'll build the bridge. We'll make sure the feasibility study comes back and we'll make sure the right planning is done. We'll get on and we'll build it—high-vis workers, making sure we've got those excavators on the ground.

The Gilmore safety package, overall, is worth $5 million. The heavy vehicle freight corridor in South Nowra: $2.95 million. The bridges renewal program, for the member who asked the question: $2.4 million. For the blackspot program, the member will be very pleased to know, there's $20 million being spent in her electorate. But her electorate, I have to say, is also going to be the beneficiary of tax relief, thanks to the fact that the Liberals and the Nationals were returned to government on—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister is now changing policy topic.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am, but they're also—

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

No, no, you won't.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They're also using the Princes Highway—56,113 of them who will benefit from tax relief.

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

I just say to the Deputy Prime Minister, it might assist him and the House if he just saves that material for a different answer to a different question.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I may well do that for the next question, Mr Speaker. Thank you.