Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. They seem a little sensitive over on that side about these issues. I thank very much the member for Bendigo for her question. She knows how important infrastructure investment is in her electorate. It is why she is such a strong advocate for projects like the Bendigo Airport upgrade and is supporting making sure that we have strong rail manufacturing here in Australia.

Of course, just over 12 months ago, our government inherited an infrastructure investment portfolio that was chock-full of waste, rorts and undelivered promises. Under those opposite, Australians suffered through a wasted decade that saw many communities miss out on investments that they needed. Over the last 12 months, we have had a lot of work to do to repair the damage and put Australian infrastructure back on a sustainable footing. I'm very happy to report that that job is well underway.

We are getting Inland Rail back on track. The first deal for flights to operate out of Western Sydney International Airport have been secured, with the airport having a milestone recently. The Prime Minister and I visited it recently, and the airport itself is 50 per cent complete. We have created new trusted and fair grants programs for every community, from the city to the bush. We are returning Infrastructure Australia to its rightful role as the Commonwealth's infrastructure advisor. We are delivering an aviation white paper. We are partnering with Queensland to deliver the Brisbane Olympics and we are working with the states and territories to clean up the infrastructure investment pipeline. We have established the High Speed Rail Authority, focusing first on the detailed case from Newcastle to Sydney. We are investing in the Cairns marine precinct. We are building the Rocky ring road and we are getting on with projects all along the Bruce Highway.

We are listening to local communities and we are bringing the Australian Council of Local Governments back here to Canberra. Importantly, we are investing a further $250 million to fix our local roads. We are investing $2.2 billion in the Suburban Rail Loop East. We are creating a maritime strategic fleet and we are introducing Australia's first fuel efficiency standard. We are revitalising the Muswellbrook town centre, which will be opening very soon. We are sealing the Tanami in Western Australia and in the Northern Territory, and we are building a metro line to Western Sydney.

Working together, we have done an awful lot. But the thing is, with infrastructure investment, that job is never done. There is always another road to build, another rail line to upgrade, another job-creating project to invest in. Working cooperatively with states and territories with a revitalised Infrastructure Australia, we will keep investing in those projects all around the nation to deliver a better future for all Australians.

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