Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

Of the 26 announced ROSI corridors, nine have had specific projects announced. Eight have already undergone significant planning work and local consultation—and that is important. When you build a road, you have to conduct local consultation. That's already been undertaken, including on the Toowoomba to Seymour corridor, through the Newell Highway strategy; the Barton Highway; Karratha to Tom Price—appreciating that not all of these are in Queensland, Member for Oxley! But it's important to note.

Let me tell you: when the Liberals and Nationals are in government, we fund 80 per cent of regional road projects, whereas when those opposite are in government—and thankfully that has not been too often in recent years—it's been only 50 per cent. When we fund it, it's an 80-20 split with states or territories; for those opposite, invariably it is just fifty-fifty. So that's a significant saving for those states in those areas where we're funding road progress.

We can talk about the wheat belt secondary freight network corridor in Western Australia. We are providing funding, whether it's in Queensland or any state, providing those vital linkage points. When it came to the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, a project that started under our government and finished under our government—

An honourable member interjecting—

Sure it's not, but it's certainly making sure that, if you're a truck driver, they full well understand—I don't know whether you've been in a truck lately—that they can now drive west of Toowoomba 140 kilometres—

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