Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I address my comments to the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Over recent weeks I have been conducting a lot of listening posts. They have been in towns like Bega, Cooma, Jindabyne, Thredbo, Bredbo, Jerangle, Tathra, Narooma, Moruya, Pambula, Gundillion and Frogs Hollow. Across those areas, in the discussions that have ensued, road funding and infrastructure funding in respect of either NBN rollout or other matters like ports or airports have been top of mind. They are the issues that have been raised. I was very pleased to be able to respond to my constituents by noting that this government has a $50 billion infrastructure rollout plan, the biggest in Australia's history. I was able to tell them, for example, that in our electorate of Eden-Monaro we are rolling out a $10 million plan for the upgrade of the port of Eden.

With regard to roads, we have had a magnificent promise to roll out $25 million to match that of the New South Wales government for the Queanbeyan bypass. With Roads to Recovery moneys and Black Spot Program moneys we have been able to allocate money for the upgrade of Princes Highway and also the Kings Highway, which is very important to my constituents in Eden-Monaro. In the upgrade of bridges policy, we have been able to promise money for upgrades of a bridge in Broulee and a bridge in Bombala—all very important.

On behalf of my constituents, I am also pushing for other infrastructure spending. For example, the Merimbula airport and the Moruya airport: these things are not quite there yet in relation to government promises, but on behalf of my constituents I am pushing for additional money to upgrade these important pieces of economic infrastructure in my electorate. Why that then comes to you, Assistant Minister, is because you, along with the cabinet minister, are responsible for the National Stronger Regions Fund. There was recently an announcement, on budget day, of a whole range of projects. I know there is a second round coming up, and so my question to you, Assistant Minister, is: could you explain to the House the arrangements for this second round of the National Stronger Regions Fund policy, how it will proceed and what prospects there are not only for people in my electorate but also for people across the whole of Australia to get more of that really needed infrastructure.

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