Damian Drum (Nicholls, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister please inform the House how the Morrison-McCormack government's Australian approach to our transport and infrastructure sectors, including through the use of innovation, is helping to meet the challenge of our recovery from COVID-19?

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

I listened very closely to the member's question. I know how fiercely he represents the Nicholls electorate. He knows full well the value of innovation in delivering better outcomes, particularly in the area of road safety, which is important to all of us. The government is currently rolling out the $2 billion—$2,000 million—Road Safety Program across every state and territory. I was in Western Australia the other day, and they're very pleased with what's happening there—delivering safer roads that will save lives through the use of lower cost innovation and technology. We've also invested $12 million in the Road Safety Innovation Fund, which is delivering 13 projects for road safety technologies, including testing technologies to warn motorists of oncoming cyclists and school zones. That is so important. Round 2 opens this week.

The new National Road Safety Data Hub is going to collect national data to better inform road infrastructure investment under our $110 billion decade-long infrastructure pipeline. Australia has been at the forefront of innovation and ingenuity when it comes to technology, particularly in transport. There was the black box flight recorder, of course, by David Warren in 1953 and Jack Grant with the inflatable aircraft escape chute in 1965. From the member for Groom's electorate, I have to mention the Wagner family with their earth-friendly concrete, which has been adopted worldwide. And just last year we introduced electronic work diaries for our truckies, which will save them considerable time. Instead of having to use those paper logbooks they can do it electronically, and it is such a valuable use of their time to be able to do that.

In the member for Nicholls' electorate we are investing heavily in the infrastructure his community needs, wants and deserves. I'll mention the Echuca-Moama Bridge. It's been talked about for 40 years and the member for Nicholls campaigned for it, he delivered it and we're building it! We've committed $200 million to the Shepparton Bypass, and planning for stage 1 is underway. I know how hard the member for Nicholls fought for that particular project. The Shepparton rail line is a $320 million Australian government commitment for better rail connectivity for the Goulburn Valley, Nagambie and Seymour communities to Melbourne. I know how hard the member for Nicholls fought for that particular investment. All of these projects are supporting jobs throughout regional Victoria, supporting local communities and making sure that we take advantage of modern infrastructure construction and ingenuity.

More broadly, we know that COVID-19 has presented significant opportunities in terms of doing things differently, placing greater importance on innovation and new technology. We're getting on with the job of doing just that, with contactless delivery of goods and services advancing quickly. These are all the sorts of things that Australians get on and do. As part of our $110 billion pipeline of investment, we're getting on with the job through COVID-19 recovery.