Chris Trevor (Flynn, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today during question time I asked a question of the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. I asked the minister to outline how the government has expanded its Black Spot Program as part of the economic stimulus plan. I also asked how this increased funding was received by local members and the community.

My government, following on from earlier announcements, made significant announcements as to my electorate of Flynn under the economic stimulus plan for black spot funding. These announcements were opposed by the opposition. Here are some of the announcements they opposed. They opposed $100,000 in funding to improve safety at the intersection of Hampton Drive and Langton Street in Tannum Sands. This intersection is an extremely busy one especially around school drop-off and pick-up times at St Francis School. Unfortunately, it has also been quite a dangerous intersection over the years, with many members of the community reporting that something needed to be done to improve safety and the flow of traffic. We have listened to their calls. The funding will be used to modify the signals and incorporate right-hand arrows at the intersection as well as to resurface and re-mark lines to improve motorists’ and pedestrians’ safety.

They also opposed a further $937,000 in black spot funding, including $702,000 to widen the existing floodway to eight metres at seven locations throughout the Muttaburra-Aramac road section near Aramac. They opposed funding for two black spots in Winton. They also opposed a single-lane roundabout at the Falcon Street, Duck Street and Wompoo Road intersection in Longreach. They also opposed funding for two notorious road black spots near Thangool. Some $200,000 will be spent by my government to improve the intersection of the Burnett Highway and Blackmans Yard Road and a further $150,000 will be spent to improve the Burnett Highway near Thangool. In addition to those, they opposed a $1 million announcement to improve a notorious road black spot near Comet. That $1 million will be spent by my government to improve the intersection of Comet River Road and the Capricorn Highway to make this road safer not only for local residents but also for the high volume of traffic that passes through the intersection. The upgraded intersection will include the construction of a U-turn facility as well as an acceleration lane. The $1 million allocated for this intersection is part of $2.2 million in funding allocated to fix 13 black spots, all of which the coalition opposed, throughout the Flynn electorate.

These black spot funding announcements have been well received by my community of Flynn. Apart from the safety aspect, Flynn residents are finally seeing their fair share of funding coming from Canberra after being abandoned by the previous government for 10 long years. Treating the people of Flynn with contempt, I believe, lost the coalition the seat. I know the coalition are sour about it, but nothing has changed. After shortchanging the electorate for 10 long years and paying at the ballot box at the last election for doing so, they have only themselves to blame. They continue to oppose important announcements for my community of Flynn, just as they did for 10 years prior to losing the seat to Labor. The people of the electorate of Flynn are a wake-up to them. Again, they will pay dearly at the ballot box if they continue to oppose our measures.

I am proud of what my government is doing for the people of Flynn. I am proud to be part of a government that is looking after their health and also their safety while protecting their jobs and putting food on people’s tables—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 9 pm, the debate is interrupted.