Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With opening of the Dinmore to Goodna section of the Ipswich motorway—which is a wonderful project that was funded by the federal Labor government—next week, I want to take the opportunity to thank Origin Alliance. Origin Alliance is the Department of Main Roads, Queensland, and a number of construction companies who have left a lasting legacy in the western corridor between Brisbane and Ipswich. Thousands of jobs have been created and also thousands of apprenticeships, Indigenous and otherwise, and much community infrastructure has been undertaken. Origin Alliance has provided assistance to local community groups and we have also seen funding for breast cancer research and for prostate cancer, funded through charity golf days. The community engagement has been fantastic from Origin Alliance. I wanted to name a number of people but there are just too many to thank, so I will thank them individually for the work they have done at the dinner we will have in Brisbane in the next few months. But I want particularly to recognise Origin Alliance and the lasting legacy, and just to mention today one example about how they helped us. In the flood in January 2011 the section of motorway between Dinmore and Goodna was cut by rising floodwaters at several places, including Woogaroo Creek, Goodna Creek and Six Mile Creek. The first priority of Origin Alliance was to get the road inspected and to clean the mud away to make it safe to be reopened. About 200 Origin Alliance workers were involved in the clean-up over subsequent days, clearing debris, cleaning roads, removing rubbish, repairing potholes and controlling the traffic between Goodna, Redbank and Riverview. They worked closely with Ipswich City Council as well as the Australian Army. They applied to the task 60 trucks, 20 water trucks, 10 bobcats, 10 backhoes, 10 excavators and six loaders, and much of the equipment was subsequently available to Ipswich City Council to continue the flood recovery efforts.

The community consultation continued during that time. It is to be remembered that the ground floor of more than nine offices of the Origin Alliance site office at Redbank was inundated by three metres of floodwater, but that did not stop them continuing to work despite the fact that much of the infrastructure, plant and equipment was damaged. They also worked to assist Riverview Neighbourhood House, which was an evacuation centre and recovery centre in Riverview, distributing items and providing portaloos and portable showers to assist residents in Goodna without power and water. This is a demonstration of the great community spirit of Origin Alliance. They have really left a lasting legacy in the Western Corridor: jobs created, people's lives enriched, a safer road, economic development enhanced. I commend them for their wonderful work and thank them sincerely on behalf of the people of Blair and the people of Ipswich.