Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

For too long, regional Australians have seen governments make big announcements, pose for a photo, issue the press release and then roll on out. Well, the regions aren't just an afterthought for the Albanese government. They're not just a bolt-on pork-barrelling press-call opportunity. Whether it's in Maitland, Port Stephens, Beresfield, Chisholm, Rutherford, Heddon Greta, Anna Bay, Medowie, Lemon Tree Passage or any of the suburbs in my beautiful electorate of Paterson, this government believes in our regions and we are delivering for them—and we're going to continue to do that.

People want practical support that improves their daily lives. They want better roads, better health care, affordable housing, quality child care and secure local jobs. That's what the Albanese regional budget delivers, because Labor understands that supporting regional Australia is about far more than a single infrastructure fund or a handful of announcements—or the odd colour-coded spreadsheet that was a bit of a pork-barrelling exercise. Supporting regional Australia means making sure regional communities are considered in every portfolio and in every policy decision. You don't just tack them on at the end and try and win a few votes; you make sure they're central. It means investing in health, investing in housing and investing in education. It means investing in infrastructure, child care, aged care and regional industries. And it means recognising that, no matter where in Australia you live, you deserve to access the best opportunities and services to help you get ahead. That is the principle at the heart of this budget. We say 'no-one held back and no-one left behind'. We believe in aspiration and we believe in a hand when you need it.

Families across Paterson will benefit from further tax cuts, putting more money back into household budgets. They'll benefit from cheaper medicines through Labor's continued investment in Medicare—something that Labor created and that we stick by and we back. For many families, every trip to the pharmacy matters. Every dollar saved on essential medicines is a dollar that goes back into paying for groceries, school shoes and bills. More than 3.5 million people in my electorate of Paterson have already benefited from these savings, keeping more money in their pockets or more money on the card—these days, it's usually that way; I know, sometimes, people don't carry much cash anymore, but they still do—and that eases the pressure on household costs.

The budget also supports households through Labor's home battery program, helping families lower their power bills while strengthening our energy system. Many of my constituents have shown me the apps on their phone, and they say: 'Meryl, I've got the battery. I can see what's going on at my place.' They show me the energy that's running around in their little house on the app. I love seeing that. More than 2,000 families in my electorate have already installed these more affordable batteries and are benefiting from the lower energy savings. These practical measures make a real difference to regional families.

Health care is another massive issue, and it is where this budget is delivering for our community. One of the achievements I'm most proud of is that Paterson has an urgent care clinic. It's at 555 High Street, Maitland, if you don't know. The clinic is providing free urgent health care close to home and helping take some of the pressure off the very busy emergency departments, including at Maitland and John Hunter, in our region. Parents with a sick child, older Australians needing some urgent treatment or workers who may have been injured can access health care when they need it without worrying about the cost. That's what strengthening Medicare in the regions looks like. This budget continues Labor's investment in Medicare urgent care clinics and bulk-billing and also supports the training of more doctors and healthcare professionals in Australia.

Infrastructure is critical when you live in a regional area, especially a beautiful regional area that is really undergoing a lot of growth, like our region is. One of the most significant projects in my patch is the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace. This project will be transformative, not just for the Hunter but for the entire eastern seaboard of Australia. For goods going between Melbourne and Brisbane, this is a game changer. For decades, this section has been the missing link between Sydney and Brisbane—the final pinch point in one of Australia's most important freight corridors.

I want to take you back to 2019 because that was the year when the then shadow minister for infrastructure, transport, cities and regional development, a bloke called Anthony Albanese, now the Prime Minister, backed me in one thousand per cent when I said: 'Mate, we have got to fix this road. It is criminal what's going on here. The whole place has been shut down time and time again, and it's just got to change.' And he said, 'You're right.' We loaded the pressure on the Morrison government. Finally they put it in a budget—actually, they went to the 2019 election with it—and we just absolutely mounted that pressure. Now, I know the Prime Minister loves being the Prime Minister—and he's doing a good job—but, let me tell you, his passion project was infrastructure. He knows the roads and byways of this country like the back of his hand. He backed me in for that M1 extension.

When we came to government in 2022, Catherine King, who then became the infrastructure minister—actually, before that, when she was still the shadow minister, we came to that piece of road and we said, 'Not only are we putting the money in; we're going to do it faster.' In 2022, when we were elected, that's exactly what we did. In the coming months, that piece of road that cost over $1.6 billion with a b will be open because not only did we commit the money, again; we then fast-tracked the project. The project will be over 12 months early in its completion, and it's on budget. That's a testimony to what happens when you back regional Australia.

I want to take a moment to thank all of those people who've worked on that road. It is amazing. People talk to me about it all the time, saying: 'Gee, the road's coming along. We can't wait till it's open.' I know there's been a lot of congestion in places like Raymond Terrace and around the region while we wait for the road to be finished—thanks for your patience on that. The workers who've helped construct that piece of critical national infrastructure have done a great job, and I know our locals are very excited about it being finished.

It matters to the businesses of our region as well. It matters to locals, who are just trying to get about their business, whether it's going to work or taking the kids to school. This is a massive piece of infrastructure, and this is what it looks like when you've got a government who is serious about regions, serious about big pieces of infrastructure and serious about keeping our regional economies growing and moving with the people who are moving to our area.

Again, I am so proud to say that this project will be delivered more than a year ahead of schedule. When do you ever hear of projects coming in over a year early and on budget? Well, this is. It means less congestion, safer journeys, stronger freight connections and better economic opportunities for our region. It means finally completing a nationally significant transport corridor that Australians have waited decades for. It is an Albanese government that is getting on and delivering this.

We're also continuing to invest in safer local roads too, because that matters. Through the Black Spot Program, communities in Raymond Terrace, Anna Bay, Aberglasslyn and Chisholm are benefiting from important safety upgrades that will make local roads safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. It is so important.

Housing is the other thing that's so big on the minds of people from the regions. We know the regions are a beautiful place to live. It turns out other people have figured that out too. Since COVID, our region has been absolutely the hottest ticket in town. People have moved there because, thanks to technology, they can work from home more now. A lot of people have moved to the Hunter, and we're glad for that, but we know we need to continue to provide more housing, and we know that that's got to be matched with infrastructure. That's why we've invested $2 billion in the Local Infrastructure Fund. That's important because it's going to help unlock new housing supply by investing in the roads, the engineering and the infrastructure that will be required to build these new communities, which are so important.

In closing, stronger communities need strong local jobs. I also want to say that the Hunter is one of Australia's industrial powerhouses. Our region's workforce, skills and manufacturing capability help drive economic growth across not just the region or the state but our entire nation. That's why supporting businesses like Tomago Aluminium is so important. I am so proud of our federal government for doing that. We are going to continue to back in our regions, back in our industry and say thank you to those people who work so hard to make sure they are a great success.

I want to acknowledge that we work with all levels of government, especially local government. Councillor Race Barstow from Maitland City Council joins us in the gallery today. It's an honour to have you here today, Councillor. Thanks for the hard work that you do in delivering for our communities. More power to the regions.

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