Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. This government spent less than 20 per cent of its announced Urban Congestion Fund last year but committed $10.6 million to advertise infrastructure promises over the next two years. Will the Prime Minister deliver on this year's announcement on advertising before he delivers on last year's announcements on actual infrastructure?

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

I thank the member for Ballarat for her question. We have 185 Urban Congestion Fund projects, and 90 per cent of those projects will be either completed or well underway by the time of the next election in line with our commitments. I can inform that $182 million has now been paid, 19 projects have been completed already, and a further 15 projects are underway, including four commuter car parks. As I said, we expect about 90 per cent will be completed or under construction over the next 18 months. I know that the members opposite will be particularly interested in some of the projects in their own electorates which are well underway or, in some cases, have been constructed already.

For example, I know the commuter car park at Hurstbridge in the electorate of the member for McEwen is well and truly underway. The commuter car park at Craigieburn in the member for Calwell's electorate is well and truly underway. I know that the member for McMahon is very much looking forward to the $95 million upgrade of the Horsley Drive, which is expected shortly. We've had $73 million go towards the Coopers Plains crossing removal in the member for Moreton's electorate. The business case there is expected to be finished by the middle of next year. Construction will soon be underway.

The $50 million for the Wallan ramp upgrade in the member for McEwen's electorate will be completed in Q1 of 2021. We've also got $115 million for the Torrens Road level crossing removal in Adelaide in the seat of Adelaide. I know the member for Adelaide will be particularly interested in that. We expect that to be well and truly under construction in 2021 Q2 as well. I could continue to go on, but these are projects that we committed to. They're going to make a big difference in those local communities and by and large most of them will be underway or indeed completed within the next 18 months.