Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

It was inappropriate, yes. So we are looking forward to the Townsville Port Access Road being built. Then of course we will move on to the $107 million four-laning of the Bruce Highway south of Townsville from Cluden out to beyond the meatworks, along that area which is now becoming overloaded. That will be a good outcome as well.

This bill is a step in the right direction. I do remain concerned, as my colleagues do, with the linking to the new tax by the Rudd Labor government. This government has made a number of promises in relation to road funding in North Queensland, many of which were copied from the announcements that I made on behalf of the coalition. But, if the current government takes up announcements that I made, that is great. It is a good outcome for my community and I certainly strongly support that. But my community expects these commitments to be met. I think there is goodwill on the part of the Rudd government to meet those commitments, and of course they should be met regardless of who is in power.

I close with the observation that, among the many issues that we face as members of parliament, particularly in regional areas, roads is right up there in lights. It is important that we recognise that, and this bill is recognising that. AusLink also recognises the link to rail, and in North Queensland the Townsville-Mount Isa corridor, which has been recognised as an AusLink corridor, does not yet have any money. It is a lifeline. Heavy freight coming from the west should be on rail; it should not be on road. I think we see that in many instances. There is even a case to be made now for the reintroduction of local shipping services to move heavy freight around this country. AusLink needs a lot of thought, but we neeed support to get the Townsville-Mount Isa rail corridor upgraded, because currently it is in such a parlous state that trains have to move at grasshopper speed to be safe on that line. I conclude now with the observation that this is a step in the right direction. I thank the Rudd government for continuing the AusLink programs that were introduced by the former government.

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