Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How will last month's budget deliver much-needed investment in infrastructure for regional and remote communities across the country?

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

I thank the member for Hunter for his question and congratulate him on his incredible advocacy for his community. Indeed, I'm looking forward to visiting the member's electorate next week and hearing firsthand how this government's investment in important projects like the Muswellbrook bypass and Mandalong Road will affect his community. In particular, I'm pleased with the Coulsons Creek Road. I know these repairs are something that the member for New England feels very dearly about. It's another important project, with the route between Willow Tree and Merriwa Creek currently closed and completely impassable. The project has been entirely funded by the Albanese Labor government—it's not something the previous government funded. It's an important local freight road, and will see locals saving hours every week once complete.

I'm also looking forward to visiting the member for Robertson's electorate, where the government has funded Avoca Drive and $40 million towards local roads along the Central Coast. Last week I was very lucky to spend time with the member for Lingiari, visiting communities that she represents in Alice Springs and across Central Australia. It was a privilege to spend time with locals at Yuendumu, a remote Indigenous community some 300 kilometres from Alice. As we flew in, we saw firsthand how important good road connections are to such a remote community. Locals rely on roads for food, health, education and access to recreation available in Alice, and that's why our budget delivers an extra $350 million of additional funding to continue upgrading to the Tanami Road—a really important road—as well as funding the Central Arnhem Road, bringing the total commitment to the Northern Territory to over $740 million.

As we travelled down the most recently completed section of the road—and I'd encourage anyone, if they get the opportunity, to do it because it is just terrific—we saw the dirt on one side and the freshly laid tarmac on the other, a new, stronger and reliable backbone for the communities of Central Australia. When I visited the work camp and the crew of Exact Contracting to see the incredible operations that an important Territory company is doing. I want to mention that they were coming to terms with the loss of their founder, the fabulous Greg Rhodes. I sent my sympathies to Greg's wife, Jenni, who was with us on the trip and with whom I spent some time with throughout the day. They're a terrific Territory company, and they're doing fantastic work on sealing the Tanami.

Our budget delivered another $200 million of funding for the Northern Territory for remote roads, and that brings the total package up to $382 million for remote communities. These are some of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in our country. This is important investment in infrastructure, and something I'm very proud that the Albanese Labor government is delivering.