Jim Turnour (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Rudd government is committed to enhancing the safety of all Australians on our roads. We have an expansive road network that covers many thousands of kilometres throughout every state and territory. There are many thousands of kilometres in my great electorate of Leichhardt, which spans from Cairns through Cape York Peninsula to the Torres Strait. The bill being introduced to parliament by the government, the AusLink (National Land Transport) Amendment Bill 2008, is firm evidence of our strong commitment to investing in land transport infrastructure and enhancing its safety for all users. Too often we read in our local papers about another person killed on the roads. Too often there are families all across the country who sadly lose uncles, aunts, children and grandchildren to road deaths.

According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, in the state of Queensland in the 12-month period ending July 2008 there were 334 road deaths. Across Australia this figure topped more than 1,500. Too many people die on our roads. This issue is at the forefront of many people’s lives. Despite your location, whether you are in the big smoke or in a rural outback community, improving our road network has far-reaching benefits. The AusLink (National Land Transport) Amendment Bill is an important part of our effort to enhance safety for roads users and thereby hopefully reduce this frightening toll.

The passing of this bill will have two major benefits. Firstly, the bill amends the definition of ‘road’ contained in the act. This amendment means a tremendous amount for the heavy vehicle operators on our roads. Given that one in five road deaths involves a heavy vehicle, this bill has important repercussions for the safety of heavy vehicle drivers as well as for other road users and the general travelling public. The changes proposed by the government to the definition of ‘road’ will mean that projects for the development of off-road facilities used by heavy vehicles in connection with travel on the road may be funded. This includes rest stops, parking areas, heavy vehicle bays, decoupling areas, weigh stations, electronic monitoring systems and associated facilities. Funding these types of facilities is part of the heavy vehicle safety and productivity package, a measure being introduced by the government to help reduce the incidence of driver fatigue, a problem that exists in the heavy transport industry and threatens the safety of many Australians. With the passing of the AusLink (National Land Transport) Amendment Bill we are enabling the funding of projects that address heavy vehicle safety from 1 January 2009.

As I said, I am the member for Leichhardt. I live in Cairns. The Bruce Highway winds down the east coast of Australia to Brisbane and further south to Sydney. This bill will enable us to improve safety on the Bruce Highway. Too many people die on the Bruce Highway, and we need to be able to upgrade rest stops, truck driver stops and locations where people can pull up and have a rest to ensure that they are not putting at risk not only their own lives but the lives of many other Australians.

The second major feature resulting from the introduction of this bill is the extension of the Roads to Recovery program for a further five years, through to 2014. The Roads to Recovery program provides local councils across the country substantial funding to undertake upgrades and repairs to local roads. The Rudd government’s decision to continue this program will ensure local government authorities have certainty and direction moving forward, enabling them to plan and budget confidently for improvements to the roads for which they are responsible.

The Roads to Recovery program was due to run out on 30 June 2009. Recently Minister Albanese announced that the Rudd Labor government is set to deliver a record $1.75 billion in new money to councils to improve local roads by securing this program for another five years. This is an increase of $50 million a year, or $250 million over five years. For the electorate of Leichhardt, in the tropical north, this means over $7.67 million for local councils. The projects include over $2.5 million for the Cairns Regional Council, $600,000 for the Cook Shire Council, $400,000 for the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council and $200,00 for the Torres Strait Island Regional Council. We must remember that regional Australia, including my electorate, very much fits this description. Councils are often the lifeblood of communities, particularly those in rural and remote areas. Federal government grants make up a significant portion of the councils’ revenue. The Rudd government recognises the value of Roads to Recovery and how important a role our local councils play in the ongoing maintenance of our national road network. After all, local governments are responsible for more than three-quarters of all Australian roads—over 810,000 kilometres.

In addition to servicing their local constituents by providing and maintaining roads, libraries, parks, pools and rubbish collection, these councils generate numerous employment and training opportunities, contributing significantly to the local economy. The Australian Local Government Association has acknowledged the value of programs like Roads to Recovery, citing it as ‘an essential element in local government’s ability to maintain and upgrade the local roads network’.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government also recently announced that local councils in the tropical north are set to share over $34.9 million in financial assistance grants from the Rudd Labor government. Cook Shire Council, which is represented by Peter Scott as the mayor, encompasses towns like Cooktown and Coen and runs up to the northern peninsula council area in the very top of Cape York, the top of Australia. It will receive the third highest increase in total grants in Queensland in 2008-09. Again, this is a clear illustration of the Rudd government’s commitment to regional Australia and to our counterparts at the local level. We are delivering for regional Australia. We are delivering for regional Queensland. Roads funding is a very important part of our commitment.

The Rudd government have a long-term plan for this nation. We have a long-term commitment, whether it is in roads, whether it is in rail or whether it is in other infrastructure. We have established through the budget process the Building Australia Fund. We also have long-term commitments with the Health and Hospitals Fund and an education fund. This legislation is part of our longer term and overall plan for this nation. I am pleased and proud to be a member of the Rudd Labor government, a government that is working hard for local communities in my electorate and all across the country. We stand ready to deliver on our election commitments.

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