Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The priority of any government is the cultivation and the preservation of lives and livelihoods. There are few programs that truly embody this ethos more effectively than this government's Road Safety Program, with the corresponding $3 billion in record investment that has been placed towards it. I don't think it matters which side of the floor you sit on; we can agree that this investment is a worthy and necessary investment.

It's been said many times in this place—certainly many times by me, in my former role as chair of the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety—that even one death on our roads is one death too many. Previously in my life, as a police officer I personally attended many scenes of traffic fatalities and serious injuries, and I know firsthand the devastating effect that they have on not just those who are involved in the accidents but also the families and loved ones, as well as the long-lasting effects on the first responders. Can I just thank all the first responders, current and former, for the work that they have done and that they continue to do.

It's important to note that the responsibility for road safety advice lies not only with all levels of government but with each of us individually. We all need to take responsibility for our driving and for monitoring conditions. Those small decisions that we make every day on the roads have the potential to directly and significantly impact the lives of many, many others. Surprisingly and unfortunately, during COVID, with fewer people on the roads—fewer people driving—the incidence of death and serious injury on our roads didn't decline; in fact it increased, despite that expectation. Now, whether that sad fact is because drivers didn't make better choices or whether the quieter roads gave them the opportunity for increased speed and increased complacency, one might be forgiven for saying that every year we have a pandemic on our roads.

Two years ago, over 1,188 people lost their lives on Australian roads. The majority of those were in regional Australia. In my electorate, statistically, we have five times the rate of fatalities when compared with metropolitan counterparts. In this country, 55 per cent of all fatalities occur on regional roads, despite having significantly lower populations. These are statistics that the government is taking seriously, and it is investing in lives by increasing investment in road infrastructure and ensuring the effective monitoring of conditions. I should note that the monitoring is meaningfully achieved through the proviso that, to receive funding under the Road Safety Program, states and territories are required to provide road safety data and to report against road safety metrics. Through the continued statistical analysis gained from evolving initiatives, we know the infrastructure improvements that actually work.

While the provision of life-saving measures in and of themselves are their own reward, as a member of parliament for the last three years I've also seen the direct positive impact on the community and on job opportunities that addressing and improving dangerous areas has created. Investment in infrastructure projects provides consistent opportunities in my electorate of Cowper for its residents to find gainful employment via councils and private contractors alike. In fact, it's expected to support around 13,500 jobs across the country, with the bulk of works being completed in regional areas, which I know will be welcomed by many.

This government's record $110 billion, 10-year infrastructure pipeline will support and secure jobs, drive growth and help rebuild Australia's economy from the COVID-19 pandemic, and meet our national freight challenge in getting Australians home sooner and more safely. Regardless of what happens in May, I know that we agree that we need a bipartisan approach, both sides, so all our people can return home safely.

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