Andrew Gee (Calare, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government: the axing of over $2 billion in federal funding for the Great Western Highway upgrade is outrageous and disgraceful. Traffic jams over the Great Dividing Range have become a way of life. You yourself said, 'It's a project that certainly is needed.' Why have our communities been betrayed in this way? Will you reinstate this funding? Why haven't you or your office answered my written request for a meeting with you?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You'd know all about betrayal!

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

Order! Members on my left will cease interjecting before I call the minister. The member for Riverina is warned.

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 Calare for the question. As the member knows, and as most members here know, because we put it out by email, I hold a clinic on Wednesdays. Every member, every backbencher, every minister and every shadow minister is welcome to come to my office. I've got the department secretary there, I am there and my staff are there to talk to and answer questions about projects right the way across. We do it all the time. Many members come. You've come previously as well. I'm always happy to talk to you about that.

In relation to the decision taken on the Great Western Highway—I know this is a project that the member for Calare has been talking about for some time—let's look at the facts. The project that was supported was supposed to connect the top of the Blue Mountains with the west of the divide. It was meant to include an east and west realignment to the highway and a central tunnel to connect the two ends. You can't just do both ends; you've got to do the entire corridor. The tunnel—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Well, let me just tell you a little bit about the genius of this.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

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

This is important for those opposite to actually listen to.

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

Order! The minister will pause. The Leader of the Nationals and the member for Barker will cease interjecting during this answer or they'll be warned. That means no more interjections in this answer. And to the rest of the chamber: the minister deserves to be heard in silence, because the question was asked in silence. The minister has the call.

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

Thank you. I note, with some irony when you do that, the previous question about shouting at women, but thank you very much for the protection.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order, members on my left! Order! The minister shall return to the question.

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

As I said, the tunnel that was proposed by the National Party, as part of the previous New South Wales government, would have been 11 kilometres long, the longest tunnel in the country. The Commonwealth and New South Wales governments had agreed to jointly fund $2.5 billion for the east and west sections, on the basis that the former New South Wales government would be responsible for the middle bit. However, not a single dollar of funding was ever committed to that project—not a single dollar. I well remember the previous minister John Barilaro making some comments about how he felt that somehow the Commonwealth should stump up 80 per cent of what would possibly have turned out to be an $11 billion 11-kilometre tunnel—we suspect more.

So, unfortunately, the delivery of this project has not been possible. We will continue to work with the New South Wales government about what we can do along that corridor to ensure the safety of people who use that. But that, of course, means that we are investing significantly in the regions already: doubling Roads to Recovery, increasing funding to the Black Spots Program and creating a new program for local councils to apply for to ensure that we've got safer roads. (Time expired)