Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank my colleague the member for Calare for providing this opportunity to speak on one of our government's great success stories: the National Stronger Regions Fund. I certainly acknowledge the significant and positive impact that the fund is having on regional areas of Australia like my electorate of Capricornia. I take this opportunity to update the House on several significant projects that the coalition has invested in in Capricornia.

Just prior to Christmas, the first sod was turned to launch construction of a new Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service hangar in Rockhampton. About 50 per cent of this $4.8 million project is being funded by the coalition government's National Stronger Regions Fund. This amounts to $2.34 million.

Meanwhile, in the Mackay part of my electorate the National Stronger Regions Fund has contributed $10 million towards stages 1 and 2 of the Mackay regional sports precinct at CQ University campus at Ooralea. Overall, this entire project is worth about $85 million. Stages 1 and 2 are worth about $20 million in total and are expected to provide 104 jobs during construction and another 33 new jobs once the facility is built.

In other areas, the summer break saw the soft launch of the multimillion-dollar Yeppoon town centre car park. The multistorey facility is a key stage of supporting infrastructure to be built in the Yeppoon foreshore and town centre revitalisation project. I am pleased that the federal coalition government committed $10 million towards this revitalisation plan under our NSRF. The car park will eventually take vehicles off the main beachfront and allow that area to be used for other activities to attract more visitors and business opportunities. The anticipated increased visitor numbers are expected to inject up to $6 million a year into the local economy.

Meanwhile, I was recently also fortunate to attend the official opening of stage 1 of the Rockhampton riverbank revitalisation. I am pleased our federal government was able to contribute $7 million to the project under our National Stronger Regions Fund. This development provides an opportunity for increased economic activity along the river and historic Quay Street which will help to create future jobs in Rockhampton city.

Today I also want to touch on an offshoot of the National Stronger Regions Fund titled the National Stronger Communities Fund. The following are some of the key community projects that have received funding. There is $20,000 for a new Barmoya bushfire shed, $8,835 to St John Ambulance Rockhampton for new emergency equipment, $7,500 for a new food trailer for the Rockhampton Mt Archer Lions Club, $20,000 for new toilets at Twin Hills Race Club, $11,454 for Clermont Kindergarten Day Care Centre to construct nature inspired play areas, $10,000 for a dentist's chair at Nebo rural health clinic and $7,600 for the Wongabeena Aged Housing Sarina facility to install a cement path and ramps for safer mobility. There is $20,000 for Rockhampton Mountain Bike Club stage II bush track around Mount Archer; $5,000 for Yeppoon Surf Life Saving Club to acquire new water rescue dummies and training gear; $5,942 for Rockhampton Heritage Village to build a boardwalk viewing area; $10,317 to the Blair Athol recreation hall; $6,624 to the Clermont Rugby League club towards an electronic scoreboard at Clermont sports ground; $20,000 to the Pioneer Valley Golf Club for secure storage for golf buggies; $20,000 to Lions Club of Emu Park for the expansion of its clubhouse; $20,000 to Yeppoon Surf Life Saving Club for a fit-out of an education and training facility; $6,562 to Emu Park Surf Life Saving Club for training equipment; $17,395 to Emu Park sports and recreation association for the multipurpose building at Bicentennial Oval; $20,000 to Clermont Kindergarten Day Care Centre for a new phase 2 toddler playground; and $8,250 to the local outriggers at Yeppoon for a waterproof GPS location tracking device.

These are all examples of how our coalition government is helping communities in regional Capricornia.

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