Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During the May election, I was highly critical of the Liberal National parties, their candidates and government because they committed zero dollars towards the Bendigo electorate. They committed zero towards local community priorities and infrastructure projects.

Following the election, I wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister and invited him to adopt Labor's plan for the region. Instead, what I got back was a letter outlining past projects—projects that were bipartisan and which have already been built. So it was not a plan for Bendigo at all but what had been done previously, including $45 million for the Calder Highway upgrade and the Ravenswood interchange—a project committed to by Labor when we were last in government. And if it weren't for the state Labor government, we wouldn't have it.

There was $5 million towards the Bendigo airport upgrade stage 1. We asked for stage 2, but they're still talking about the past. The government has an opportunity in the MYEFO to commit to projects for Bendigo. It could commit to stage 2 of the airport: $5 million to upgrade the terminal. It could commit to funding the necessary Road Trauma Research Hub at La Trobe. It could commit to new projects for our region. At the moment this government has no plan, not just for electorates like Bendigo but for Ballarat and also for McEwen. It has forgotten parts of regional Victoria. Now is the time to commit.