Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Since the days of the gold rush, communities of the Central West have been advocating for a crossing over the Macquarie River at Dixons Long Point, between Orange and Mudgee. With a solid benefit-cost ratio, substantial funding had been committed, cultural heritage considerations were cooperatively addressed and the project had gone out to tender. There was even $27.8 million of allocated funding sitting in the kitty. Where is this money now? Will you and your government support this game-changing project?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Riverina is warned.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ALBANESE (—) (): I thank the member for Calare for his question and I also thank him for raising this issue with me on behalf of his constituents when we met in my office a while ago. I know that he is very passionate about this project to provide a road link between Orange and Mudgee. It is a complex proposal because it does, of course, involve a river crossing, and therefore the costs have been assessed. Unfortunately, it's been much higher than $27.8 million. Like many of the commitments that were made opposite, essentially, you can't fund half a road. You can't just have one side and you can't have it go just half the way. You need to have the entire funding there, which is why I look forward to and I have raised the issue with my minister for infrastructure and transport as to whether there would be an interest as well in the New South Wales government—the incoming New South Wales government—also being engaged with this project or, indeed, with the shire councils in this area.

I will certainly come back to the member for Calare about this. We have allocated some $23 billion to New South Wales for infrastructure projects over the next decade, with substantial investment right across all states and territories. As the member knows, because I travelled with him to Calare during the natural disasters which, tragically, a lot of his electorate was impacted by, we continue to invest where it's needed to deal with the natural disasters that had a devastating impact—in particular, the floods in his community.

I look forward to working with the member for Claire and thank him for the question.