Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

37 per cent, Member for Wannon. If you listened to those on the other side, and some of the media indeed, you would believe that funding for education had been cut. But in fact these were figures out in the never-never. These were never figures that were committed; these were Labor promises on the magic pudding—or, as we have discovered in more recent days, the money tree.

In the time that is left to me, I want to go over a few of the highlights that I would like to put on the record about the last year and the work that I have done along with my colleagues—the member for Braddon and the member for Bass. The three of us worked collectively to deliver some outstanding results for our state, I believe—not least of all, the $203 million to expand the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme to include exports going through the Port of Melbourne. This is our highway to the world.

We all know that Tasmania can produce high-quality products, high-quality goods. But it was not a level playing field that we were competing on. The expansion of the Freight Equalisation Scheme, which was first introduced by a Liberal government. It was Malcolm Fraser's government in the 1970s that first introduced the Freight Equalisation Scheme and it was the Abbott government that has put another peg there to make the scheme equitable for Tasmanian primary producers, exporters and manufacturers. It has indeed been welcomed.

Can I also mention the $60 million that has been committed for the Tasmanian Irrigation tranche 2 projects. There are five around the state; three of them are in my electorate of Lyons. I think particularly of the Southern Highlands scheme. It has been oversubscribed as far as water sales are concerned, which reflects the confidence that is growing within the agricultural space in Tasmania.

I mention the Swan River scheme on the east coast, which will be a high-value scheme that will be growing viticulture and horticultural products there and expanding the opportunities for jobs in that part of Tasmania, in what is traditionally a very dry part of my state as well.

Finally in Lyons is the Evandale or North Esk irrigation scheme, based at Dalness, just outside of Evandale. This will allow more intensive cropping—grain production, poppy production—and possibly even dairy production in that part of the state; reliable water, 95 per cent secure.

I think the other story, though, is also the infrastructure spending that we have seen. In my electorate I think particular of the Bridges Renewal Program. We were very fortunate indeed in my electorate. The Northern Midlands Council received a $922,000 contribution for the new Westmoor Bridge on Powranna Road between Cressy and the Midland Highway. If I might describe it to you: there are three extraordinary businesses that are based on one end of Powranna Road. I think of Tasmanian Quality Meats, the Regional Exporter of the Year in 2013; I think of Petuna Seafoods, which has its hatchery there; and I think of Burlington Berries. Between them, the three businesses are employing an enormous number of Tasmanians. They are growing businesses and they are wonderful businesses, and it is this sort of investment in infrastructure, in collaboration with the Northern Midlands Council—and I thank Mayor Downie for joining me when we announced this funding—that is the sort of thing that builds the productive infrastructure that our state of Tasmania desperately needs.

There were two other bridges as well, on the Esk Main Road at Avoca, on a state government owned road, and also further down the Esk Main Road at Fingal. This is about allowing, for example, cranes to access the east coast of Tasmania without having to do pretty well a lap around the state. So there is $3.3 million for those two bridges on the Esk Main Road.

We have also heard much about the Roads to Recovery Program funding that has been doubled this year and will be doubled again next year. Substantial amounts of money are going into local councils there to be used at their discretion as they see fit to upgrade local roads, which benefits small businesses and households in my electorate and allows councils to get on with the constant job of upgrading and maintaining roads in those municipalities.

I have the privilege of being the chair of the Tasmanian roads black spots committee. I congratulate the work done by Donald Howatson from the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources in Tasmania. There is an outstanding list of projects. A number of those have been successful in the electorate of Lyons. I recently had Assistant Minister Jamie Briggs in my electorate at the Perth Primary School there. Anybody could see the dangers that are occurring at drop-off time, where mums are coming to drop off their little kids at the primary school in a cul-de-sac and there are kids and teachers walking here, there and everywhere. A rather modest contribution of $50-odd thousand dollars from the Commonwealth government will rectify this and will make it much safer for mums picking up and dropping off their kids.

In the time left to me I will mention the solar community fund. This has been a $300,000 rollout around my electorate. I am very pleased to say that the beneficiaries included the New Norfolk District Football Club, the Gagebrook Community Centre, the Bagdad Community Club, the Sorell RSL Club, the Tasman Civic Centre at Nubeena, the Oatlands RSL Club, the Bicheno Golf Club, the St Helens Healthy House, the Longford RSL Memorial Club, Aged Care Deloraine, the Port Sorell Men's Shed and the Deviot Community Association hall.

There have been a number of other projects over the last 12 months that I would like to mention as well. In particular I was very pleased to announce $820,000 which went to the Inland Fisheries Service. In my electorate, there is Lake Crescent and Lake Sorell. The Inland Fisheries Service have done an amazing job. People said it could not be done, but through persistence and through science they have been able to eradicate carp from Lake Crescent. The next job now is Lake Sorell. It is an outstanding piece of work. I have never seen such commitment as that shown by these people, who are so keen and committed to the work that they are doing. I was very grateful for Minister Hunt's support of something that I advocated very strongly for.

The other day it was a privilege for me to open the Dunalley community hall. This was a tragedy that occurred during the 2013 bushfires. I realise that it was a commitment by former Prime Minister Gillard and the former member for Lyons Dick Adams. It fell to me to open this, but I wanted to mention the $250,000 to what is the benchmark for community halls—I will say that, Member for Wannon. This is an amazing building that will bring together the performing arts and the RSL club, which I know meets there, and many other community activities in what is a wonderful, wonderful facility. I congratulate them on it.

In the ACAR round last year, we were successful in the Corumbene Nursing Home, again in New Norfolk, which received just over $1 million worth of funding for not only aged-care places but also a capital grant. Tandara Lodge Community Care at Sheffield in North West Tasmania also received $995,000 for their capital grant to expand the facility there, and there was $130,000 for Toosey Aged and Community Care in Longford for 15 home care packages.

It has been a year of delivery. We are delivering. I believe, with the support of my colleagues the member for Bass and the member for Braddon, we are delivering for our state of Tasmania. It is a pleasure—it is a privilege—to be representing the wonderful communities that make up my electorate. I will continue to work as hard as I can. I have not had time in this contribution to mention the Centenary of Anzac grants. There were numerous ones around my electorate. I will continue to fight hard for the people and the communities that make up this amazing electorate that is the electorate of Lyons.

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