Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the member for Reid's motion on small business and infrastructure investment. From hearing the member for Lilley I can say that we agree on one thing, and that is that small business is the engine room of our economy. I think that is probably best where I leave it.

The 2015-16 budget reaffirmed the government's $50 billion infrastructure investment commitment, the largest in our nation's history. Our commitment will deliver the infrastructure of the 21st century that our nation needs. We are carrying out projects right across Australia and, indeed, in my electorate of Barker. Local and regional communities also continue to benefit from the government's investment in infrastructure.

The coalition government is delivering more money for the Roads to Recovery and the Black Spot programs, with my electorate alone receiving $104 million through Roads to Recovery funding, with $15.4 million of that being announced recently as an additional injection of funds above and beyond the previously announced funds, with another $2.5 million for black spots.

We established the National Stronger Regions Fund, which in my case delivered $7.5 million to the South Australian Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend, which will see my electorate becoming not only the home of motor sport in South Australia, or indeed Australia, but quite possibly in the Southern Hemisphere, along with the many hundreds of direct and indirect jobs that will be created as a result of our decision.

This extra funding will deliver tangible benefits and make our roads safer and more reliable. This is a massive boost to funding for our regional road network, and I am looking forward to seeing the additional opportunities this decision will create for our local communities.

I am also delighted to be able to report to the Federation Chamber that the federal government is taking decisive action on moving stalled projects forward where state governments have failed to act, particularly in my electorate. The federal government has decided to provide all of the funding required to complete the state government's stalled Penola bypass project—a whopping $9 million. It has also resolved decades of inaction over the Penola and Wireless roads intersection, in Mt Gambier, with an allocation of $800,000. This intersection has been declared by the RAA as the most dangerous one in rural and regional South Australia.

For a very long time members of the Limestone Coast community have been frustrated and angry that these two projects have been subjected to indecision and delay, because nobody wanted to take responsibility for funding these important infrastructure projects. I said in October last year that for as long as I can remember the Limestone Coast had been talking about fixing the Wireless Road / Penola Road intersection and building the Penola bypass. Even though the Wireless Road / Penola Road intersection and indeed the Penola bypass are state government responsibilities, I have been relentlessly pursuing funding for these projects. With the help of Assistant Minister Briggs, I have now secured those funds.

I was also delighted that I successfully won the support of Assistant Minister Briggs and Treasurer Hockey to retain a significant portion of the Murray-Darling Basin Economic Diversification Program funding after the state Labor government refused to accept those federal funds. It is beyond comprehension that a state government with nation-leading levels of unemployment and facing serious financial distress would refuse federal government assistance, and all the more bizarre when this funding was secured by Premier Weatherill himself. I am grateful that Minister Briggs and Treasurer Hockey were not prepared to see struggling river communities in my electorate punished because of the reckless actions of the state Labor government, and allocated $6.9 million of the funding originally allocated to the Riverland and Murraylands for economic diversion to road widening and shoulder sealing of the Sturt Highway. These are funds which would otherwise have disappeared.

The Prime Minister made a commitment to be the infrastructure Prime Minister prior to the last election, and we are going about delivering that outcome, as we can see with the investment of $3.2 billion under the Roads to Recovery program, including an injection of $1.1 billion over the next two years. An extra $100 million over the next two years to accelerate road safety improvements through the Black Spot Program brings total investment up to $500 million. The Prime Minister and the coalition government are delivering the roads of the 21st century.

With us in the chamber today we have Ms Pamela Perre. Ms Perre was awarded young rural journo of the year in South Australia, and as a result of that she has won a trip to Canberra. Some would say it is a commiseration prize, but at least a day of that she will be spending with me. I congratulate Pam on her award. It is a significant achievement for a very young journalist.

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