John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Senator Nash. Can the minister update the Senate about the benefits which will flow to regional Australia as a result of the recent budget, and how jobs and growth in regional Australia will be supported?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Minister for Rural Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Williams for his question and for his unrelenting advocacy for regional New South Wales.

The coalition has delivered a budget and an economic plan focused on jobs and growth, and on investing in rural, regional and remote Australia. One of the significant investments made through the budget that I know will be very well received, not only across regional New South Wales but in regional parts of other states as well, is a further significant commitment to the iconic Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail project. The coalition is building on the 2013 election commitment which saw $300 million invested into this job-creating project—taking it off the drawing board and putting it on a strong pathway towards delivery. Building on this, $594 million in additional funding will flow to the ARTC to acquire land for the inland rail corridor and to continue preconstruction and due diligence activities.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Minister for Rural Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And yes—I will take that interjection from senators opposite—it is starting. The Melbourne-to-Brisbane corridor is one of the most important general freight routes in Australia. Inland rail will provide 1,700 kilometres of freight rail alignment connecting Melbourne and Brisbane while linking many regional ports and stimulating local jobs and local economic activity. I will point out to the chamber for those who have not noticed that it took the coalition government to get to this point with the inland rail. It took the Liberal and National parties to get to this point for the inland rail.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Those opposite who interject are those from the Labor Party who did nothing to get the inland rail to this point. I am very proud of this, and I am very proud of the budget that the government delivered last night.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I thank the minister for that wonderful news, and I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister please update the Senate on how the coalition government's focus on jobs and growth is also supported through investment in regional communications?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Minister for Rural Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On top of investing significantly in road and rail infrastructure, the coalition understands how vital high-quality communication infrastructure is to delivering connectivity, jobs and growth to regional Australia. That is why, under this government, the NBN rollout is finally on track. Today, close to two million homes and businesses can access the NBN, and there are more than 900,000 active users. That is why the coalition has invested $100 million in round 1 of the Mobile Black Spot Program, which is seeing 499 new or improved base stations being rolled out across the nation.

Again, I point out that those opposite in the Labor Party did not put one cent into mobile phone black spots—not one cent! We have committed $60 million to the second round of this program. We are committed to making sure that we extend mobile phone coverage as far as we possibly can in partnership with telcos and other governments.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. After more good news, can the minister please explain how the coalition government's clear economic plan will deliver jobs and growth in regional Australia? How does this differ from other approaches?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Minister for Rural Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In contrast this differs very clearly to Labor, who only had shambolic plans when in government.

Look at the carbon tax, which was going to hit regional Australia harder than anywhere else. And they want to bring it back? They want to bring it back! The mining tax, GroceryWatch, Fuelwatch, Cash for Clunkers—the list goes on, and particularly for regional areas. The failed, former finance minister, when she was Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water, spent $34 million buying back water from Tandou for the environment. The unfortunate thing for the then minister was that it was supplementary water. Those opposite would not know, because they do not understand rural areas. Supplementary water only exists in a flood, and the minister was buying it back for the environment. That is the sort of shambles we saw from the previous Labor government.