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

I rise today to speak on the government's 2026-27 budget and what it means—or, more importantly, what it fails to deliver—for the people of Capricornia and across Central Queensland. Let's be clear: when you look beyond the headlines, this budget follows a familiar pattern—big promises but very little for the region that actually powers this nation. Regional Australia is not an afterthought; it is the engine room of our economy, driving our agriculture, resources, manufacturing and energy sectors. Yet, time and time again, we see budgets that prioritise the capitals while leaving regional communities behind. As my colleague the member for Gippsland has constantly highlighted, there is a growing concern that regional Australia is facing what can only be described as an investment drought, with fewer new infrastructure commitments and no clear pipeline of future projects to support jobs and growth. Unfortunately, this budget does little to change that.

In Central Queensland, we know exactly what this looks like on the ground. It means motorists travelling on roads like the Bruce Highway, one of the most critical freight and tourism routes in the country, still waiting for the upgrades needed to improve safety and reliability. It means local councils are struggling to deliver essential infrastructure because key funding programs have been cut or scaled back. And it means, quite frankly, that councils are being left behind. Local councils and community organisations are crying out for support to deliver critical infrastructure. Yet funding programs have been scrapped, delayed or not replaced, leaving communities in limbo. We've seen regional programs axed, billions in promised funding delayed and councils left trying to plan their budgets without any certainty about when or if support will arrive. That reality is being felt right across Capricornia. Our local governments are doing the heavy lifting, maintaining roads, delivering community facilities and supporting local growth, but they are being asked to do more with less. When councils miss out, it's not just the numbers on a balance sheet; it's fewer community projects, it's delayed road upgrades, and it's missed opportunities for local jobs and economic development. It means industries like mining, agriculture and manufacturing, industries that underpin our national prosperity, not receiving the long-term infrastructure investment they need to remain competitive. It means families in communities like Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Moranbah and Clermont continuing to face rising costs of living without meaningful relief that reflects the realities of regional life.

We know that cost-of-living pressures hit harder in the regions. People travel further. Fuel costs more. Services are fewer. And yet too often the measures announced in this budget are designed with city living in mind, not the unique challenges faced by regional Australians. Even where there are national initiatives, whether it's tax changes, health funding or housing programs, they often fail to account for regional workforce shortages, housing supply constraints and the higher cost of doing business outside the capital cities. This budget does include significant spending across the economy, including billions for infrastructure and cost-of-living measures. But the question from my constituents is simple: Where is our fair share? Where are the transformational projects that will unlock growth in Central Queensland? Where is the commitment to regional roads, regional rail and regional connectivity? Where is the long-term vision for the communities that keep this country running? Without that vision, we risk falling behind.

Central Queensland is not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fair treatment. We are asking for investment that recognises our contribution to the nation's economy. We are asking for policies that support local jobs, strengthen local industries and build stronger, more resilient regional communities. We are asking for a government that understands that, when regional Australia succeeds, the entire nation succeeds. We should be investing in our regions, not overlooking them. We should be building infrastructure pipelines, not allowing them to dry up. We should be backing regional Australia, not taking them for granted.

So, when we look at the budget in more detail, we need to ask: where is the money for projects like Rockhampton Airport? This is something that the coalition made a commitment to last election. This has the potential for international exports, tourism and more defence in Central Queensland—we have Shoalwater Bay sitting on our doorstep—and we have been ignored. The Rockhampton Ring Road was something that we had to fight enormously for. We had people coming down here fighting for it, a $1.8 billion project that's transforming for Central Queensland. Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road was something that just recently opened, but we had to fight for the funding.

So what is missing in this budget? Upgrades to the Bruce Highway. We see that the Treasurer says, 'Oh, we've put an extra billion dollars into the Bruce.' Well, where? Down in the south-east corner, around the capital cities. Nothing—

An opposition member: Not in my patch.

No, not in your patch, not in my patch, not between Rockhampton and Mackay—that's for certain. The amount of traffic that we have on there, with the trucks, the tourism, the military—it's enormous, and we keep missing out. There's the Peak Downs Highway, a major highway that accesses the minefields of Central Queensland, the coalfields—nothing for that either. Once again, the wealth of the nation comes from areas like this.

Today I had a phone call from a very distressed constituent who was very upset about these tax changes. They'd lost hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight in the share portfolio that they use instead of their superannuation. We saw a major drop yesterday in our banks. What is going on is horrendous. People have worked hard all their lives, and, now, this has been ripped away by this government. It's an absolute disgrace.

The people of Capricornia and the people of Australia deserve more than words and more than what has been offered in this budget speech. They deserve action, and, until we get it, I will continue to stand in this place and fight for them.

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