House debates

Tuesday, 1 June 2021

Bills

Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2021-2022, Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2021-2022, Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2021-2022; Second Reading

6:39 pm

Photo of Steve IronsSteve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the appropriation bills and on the budget for 2021-22, which is about securing Australia's recovery. I'd like to focus on creating jobs and rebuilding our economy and also on infrastructure within my electorate of Swan in Western Australia. The budget, in regard to creating jobs and rebuilding the recovery, has quite a few facets to it. There are jobs in the recovery. There are tax jobs to create jobs. There are business tax incentives to create even more jobs. There are global business and talent incentives, tax incentives to encourage innovation, building skills for the future, investing in our care workforce, COVID-19's impact on women, boosting workforce participation, getting unemployed Australians back into work, creating the right incentives to work, the digital economy strategy, digital skills for the future, deregulation, supporting construction jobs, growing our regions and targeting industry support.

In regard to jobs and recovery, Australia's economic recovery means more people are in work than ever before. As you would know, Mr Deputy Speaker Gillespie, the employment figure is 75,000 higher than it was before COVID-19 and almost one million jobs have been restored or created since May 2020. So Australia is on track for the unemployment rate to recover in around two years. That's five times faster than it did in the 1990s recession. As you would know, tax cuts are designed to create jobs and also to put more money in the pockets of those who earn it. The tax cuts will support household income and generate more activity supporting jobs growth. The government is delivering a further $7.8 billion in personal income tax to support more than 10 million low- and middle-income earners. This will be worth up to $1,080 for individuals or up to $2,160 for couples. This is on top of the $25.1 billion of announced tax cuts flowing to households in 2021-22 under our legislated Personal Income Tax Plan. With the additional year of the low- and middle-income tax offset, our PIT plan will provide tax cuts of up to $7,020 for individuals and up to $14,040 for couples, in total, over the period from 2018-19 to 2021-22. Lower taxes mean that hardworking Australians will keep more of what they earn, allowing them to spend more, help grow the economy and create more jobs.

I'm in my 14th year of serving the good electorate of Swan. I see the member for Hindmarsh here. He joined me in parliament after the 2007 election. It has been a long journey and I know he has seen plenty of action, as have I in the time that I've been in parliament. It has been a privilege to serve Swan. During the term of my elections I have fought and advocated for congestion-busting infrastructure across Swan. My electorate of Swan is home to some of the largest highways and infrastructure in WA, so a major focus for me has been making our roads safer and getting people home sooner.

Congestion has a real cost both on the economy and on the quality of our lives. I'm proud to be part of a government that has committed a total of over $1.66 billion towards infrastructure projects across the electorate of Swan. A major accomplishment has been the delivery of the Manning Road on-ramp, and I was reminded of that by a constituent who happened to be sitting next to me on the plane yesterday. He was lauding the outcomes of the Manning Road on-ramp, which is the first project on a piece of key infrastructure on the freeways of Perth in over 40 years. After a decade of advocating and fighting for this project, I'm proud that we finally delivered it. I originally raised this issue in parliament in 2009 and began my campaign for funding, securing $28 million in 2016. The funding was 80 per cent of the $35 million project. This project is an example of the commitment this federal Liberal government has to creating congestion-busting road infrastructure works. It displays the commitment that I have to local residents in Swan to take action and deliver what the community needs.

The recent budget prioritises several key infrastructure projects in the state. Residents in my electorate of Swan will directly benefit from a $385.5 million share in the $1.3 billion infrastructure announcement recently made with the state minister for infrastructure and also the state Premier. A project included in this announcement is the Hamilton Street-Wharf Street grade separations and the elevation of associated railway stations, including Queens Park and Cannington stations. This is a major win for the residents in my electorate. Over the years, I have been campaigning for the removal of dangerous level crossings on the Armadale line. The crossings cause not only a large number of car crashes but also a huge amount of congestion. There are times when it is like a car park. Back in 2019, I secured $207.5 million for the Mint Street-Oats Street-Welshpool Road level crossing removal as well. This further commitment of funds to remove two more level crossings means I've succeeded in my local campaign, which has taken many years. Over 1,000 people signed local petitions to expedite action to remove these local crossings, and I look forward to seeing the works commence soon.

Other key projects in Swan as part of this infrastructure announcement include $10 million for the Orrong Road expressway, and I can hear a sigh of relief from constituents about that because it is like a car park in the morning and in the afternoon as well. There is also an additional $21.5 million towards the Leach Highway-Welshpool Road interchange project, bringing the total funding for this project to $68 million, thanks to the Morrison government. This highway is the busiest intersection in Western Australia, and it's great that these two projects are going to be looked at, as they will get people home more quickly and more safely. I drove past there on Sunday. The works have begun, and I look forward to the sod-turning with the local minister for infrastructure. I expect the Labor Premier will be out there as well to make sure he gets a piece of the action. This funding for my electorate will support local small businesses, which means jobs, and it will keep residents safe on the roads and cut travel times in our community.

Other key road infrastructure projects I've delivered include $232 million for the Tonkin Highway gap, which is one of Perth's most congested roads; $85 million to upgrade the northern access to the Perth Airport precinct; $37.6 million in federal funding for WA's first smart freeway; $1.6 billion for the Roe Highway and Kalamunda Road interchange; and $490 million for the Forrestfield-airport link, which is near completion. I recently visited both ends of the link, which is the first ever underground tunnel project under the Swan River, so it's a great initiative. It was started by the previous Liberal state government, but the current state Labor government has supported it and continued with the project, with the $490 million we gave for that. There is also $13.25 million to bust congestion on Abernethy Road; $75 million to upgrade the bus interchange at the Canning Bridge; and $25 million for the Causeway Bridge upgrade, just to name a few. I'll continue to deliver congestion-busting infrastructure for the residents of Swan.

As we come out of COVID, investment in infrastructure will play a critical role in the Commonwealth's JobMaker plan and help the Western Australian economy. Another project, Edward Millen House, secured funding of $4 million. I'm pleased to deliver that funding because the Edward Millen redevelopment project is also in my electorate of Swan. I worked closely with the town of Victoria Park to put this project on the agenda at the national level to ensure that the benefits of economic and social regeneration can occur right in the heart of East Victoria Park. Edward Millen House has been fenced off to the public for more than two decades, and I'm excited to see this historic state heritage asset restored and enjoyed by the local community. The $4 million I secured will help the town of Victoria Park kick off this project. Other community infrastructure projects I've delivered include $2.5 million for the upgrade of Mends Street in South Perth and $1 million for the creation of the Wharf Street Basin Next Generation Community Park, which is a smart park right in the middle of the city of Canning.

As some members know, my electorate of Swan is named after the Swan River which borders the north and west of my electorate. The Swan River is renowned around the world and is a main tourist attraction. It's where hundreds of thousands of West Aussies gather to view the Australia Day Skyworks. It is also home to many local organisations in my electorate, including rowing clubs, sea scouts and yacht clubs. It provides a place for the community to get together and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. It is home to many local species, including the famous black swan which features on our Western Australian flag. It is essential that we care for these waterways, and looking after the river has been a commitment of mine during my time as the member.

I am proud to have been able to deliver three stages of the Swan-Canning River Recovery program, supporting local organisations to deliver practical community environmental action in looking after and caring for the Swan and Canning rivers. I'm sure the member for Hindmarsh, with his previous ministerial role, would appreciate how much work we have to do to look after our environment. Stage 3 of the project has seen funding of $2 million to improve the health of the Middle Canning estuary and will see the removal of terrestrial weeds across 50 hectares. The aquatic hydrocotyle was introduced as weed for fish ponds, and it escaped and went into the rivers. The program is to get rid of that weed and also to reduce sediment and nutrient run-off from this vital Western Australian waterway. Over the next three years, environmental and community groups will engage volunteers in a series of projects funded by the Australian government under the Swan-Canning River Recovery stage 3 project. As well as delivering practical environmental outcomes, these programs are helping to educate people about the importance of the Middle Canning waterway's natural values and the ways we can work together to enhance our environment.

On my election, I set out to make the electorate of Swan a hub for sport with the best recreational facilities in Perth. As both a former director of junior development for the Perth Football Club, which is based at Lathlain site, and a former player in the WAFL, I know the benefits sport can bring to the area. The investment is focused on local participation, upgrading local facilities at reserves and within local sporting programs, and delivering the multimillion-dollar Recreation and Aquatic Facility in the City of South Perth.

The Morrison government is committed to providing modern, equitable and long-lasting facilities for grassroots sporting clubs up to the elite level. That's why we have committed $16.25 million towards the construction of the WA State Football Centre. We know that football, or soccer, is one of the most popular sports in WA, with more than 230,000 Western Australians playing the global game. This project has been a key goal of the West Australian football community for the better part of the last decade. With our support, Football West will finally have a state-of-the-art home in Maniana Reserve in Queens Park in my electorate. This is critical because the recent successes of Perth Glory in the A-League and W-League mean more and more young people in the west are signing up to local clubs.

A big focus of my local priorities has also been to upgrade and enhance local sporting grounds. I've secured nearly $400,000 to upgrade the sports lighting facilities at Wyong Reserve and Scott Reserve. Multiple amateur and junior sporting clubs call these reserves home, with a new focus on enticing girls to play at these sporting clubs as well. Proper lighting is important for the clubs to play or practice in low light or at night and increase community participation. Because of this lighting, they are actually now able to bring the girls in to play on a Friday night at their home ground.

Another project I delivered after surveying local residents and working closely with local clubs and coaches was to upgrade the facilities at the Aqualife Centre in East Victoria Park. These upgrades included installation of new starting platforms and installing a submersible wall. These upgrades enable better use by many school groups that have used the centre, as well as ensuring disabled athletes have proper facilities. The upgrades were completed last year, and I'm glad they are still being enjoyed by the community.

The coalition has been a strong supporter of the Lathlain development, delivering the vital investment that has enabled the development to get underway, including $10 million in 2015 for the West Coast Eagles' new home at Lathlain oval and the $3 million investment in 2016 to support the co-location of the Wirrpanda Foundation to assist Indigenous youth. $4 million was also invested in the redevelopment of the Perth Football Club grandstand at Lathlain oval, which helped to benefit 10,000 children directly involved in football related activities.

The latest multimillion-dollar project underway is the new Recreation and Aquatic Facility that will be completed in the City of South Perth. I've led the local campaign for this $20 million project since 2011, and it has actually now turned into a $65 million project, with $20 million from the federal government. The business plans have recently been passed by the South Perth local council and it has the backing of thousands of residents who were surveyed. Local sporting groups are also supporting this facility. The design concepts include three state-of-the-art swimming facilities, six to eight indoor hard court stadiums, and facilities for women and disabled sports, hydrotherapy and spa facilities. This regional-scale facility at the Curtin University precinct will be enjoyed by the community at large.

To finish off, I support and congratulate the Morrison government on their new budget, securing Australia's recovery.

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