Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In question time, there was a question to the government on the allocation of funding to the states with respect to the government's funding for road upgrades and infrastructure projects. It was interesting to listen to the contribution and the questions that were put to the government earlier today around that.

The one thing this government takes very seriously is the road safety of each and every Australian. I know at the last election, and quite a few elections beforehand, that the Labor Party has a very proud history of working with many communities and many organisations, including the Transport Workers Union, in making sure that road safety is a key priority for a federal government. And the government has so far delivered on its election commitments of setting up a road safety remuneration tribunal—something that those opposite, when they were last in government, decided to withdraw and abolish as part of their deals here in the Senate with the crossbench. It's interesting that between 2012 and 2016 the former Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, which set the pay and conditions for road transport drivers in the road transport industry, also saw a reduction of road incidents across the nation. The tribunal was established and began operation back in July 2012, only to be abolished by the Turnbull government in April 2016.

The infrastructure side of things is also a very important point, and we should look at the commitment that this government has made to increasing and improving road safety around the country. In my home state of Victoria, $120 million in joint funding has been committed to improve roads, footpaths and cycleways. In partnership with the Victorian government, the Road Safety Program will improve safety at 24 sites, including 15 projects in regional areas and nine projects in urban and metropolitan areas. This includes $4.7 million for the Regional School Safety package and pedestrian and cyclist treatments and over $2.2 million for the Regional Speed Package for static traffic controls and signage.

Federal Labor has also substantially increased the Black Spot Program funding, which is progressively increasing, since 1 July, from $110 million to $150 million every single year. We've also committed $33.3 million in funding to improve 56 known crash sites under the 2024-25 Black Spot Program. The Black Spot Program funds a range of safety measures at locations where serious crashes have occurred or are at risk of occurring. Additionally, the Roads to Recovery Program funding has also risen to $650 million this year, up from $500 million last year, and will continue to rise to $1 billion by 2027-28 per year onwards.

This is just another example of where the federal Labor government has put more money into road safety and into infrastructure projects across the nation, unlike what was claimed by those opposite that we are cutting funding and somehow trying to loop in the CFMEU and other union activity on these projects. But the reality is that this government has put money where its mouth is. We have said that we would improve road safety and we are doing that.

The Black Spot Program, something that we are very proud of, is funding more safety improvements in my duty electorate of Gippsland. We've put money into Sale. There's $1.224 million to install single-lane roundabouts and pedestrian cycling facilities. In Traralgon, there's $408,000 to install raised crossings and speed cushions on approaches and at Traralgon Creek Shared Path and Moore Street in Traralgon. In Morwell, there's $371,000 to install kerbside edge lines and lighting upgrades, and, in Riverslea, there is $204,000 to install safety barriers and kerb alignment signs at selected kerbs.

These are another example of where the Albanese Labor government is taking road safety very seriously. We are putting money into infrastructure projects right across the country, and I'm very proud that we are investing in the great state of Victoria to make sure that we are improving and working with our state counterparts and local councils for road safety projects around this country.