Gary Nairn (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2005-2006 provides additional funding for agencies to meet:

• expenses in relation to grants to the states under section 96 of the Constitution and for payments to the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and local government authorities; and
• non-operating requirements in the form of departmental equity injections.

Total additional appropriation of around $2.3 billion is proposed in Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2005-2006.

The supplementary appropriation is required to fund important initiatives during the current financial year that have been agreed by the government since additional estimates 2005-06. The major items of expenditure in the bill include:

• additional funding to the Department of Transport and Regional Services to enable a total payment of $2.126 billion for the following projects:
• $960 million to New South Wales.
• $800 million, together with funding already being provided to the Hume Highway under AusLink, would enable full duplication of the Hume Highway in southern New South Wales except for the bypasses of Tarcutta, Holbrook and Woomargama by the end of 2009. The remaining planning of the three bypasses would continue so they could be completed as soon as practicable; and
• the remaining $160 million being for projects on the Pacific Highway to support key safety initiatives and accelerate the upgrading of the highway to dual carriageway. This funding is subject to matching expenditure by the New South Wales government.
• $345.5 million to Queensland for the Bruce Highway between Townsville and Cairns. This includes $124.5 million to upgrade the Bruce Highway immediately south of Tully to an appropriate level of flood immunity and width.
• $323 million to Western Australia for the Great Northern Highway, the Great Eastern Highway and the Eyre Highway.
• $100 million to South Australia for the Sturt Highway.
• $60 million for Tasmania to upgrade the East Tamar Highway north of Launceston to Bell Bay.
• $30 million to the Northern Territory to improve the flood immunity of the Victoria Highway.
• $307.5 million to supplement the AusLink Roads to Recovery program to local, state and territory governments for investing in local roads.
• An additional $521.2 million to the Department of Finance and Administration to extinguish the Australian government’s liability for the superannuation entitlements of former State Rail employees of South Australia and Tasmania.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate (on motion by Ms Gillard) adjourned.