Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Following the gagging of the debate the other night on Infrastructure Australia, I want to take this opportunity to raise some of the issues that I was due to speak on during that debate. These issues are really important to the people of Newcastle. There is nothing more important to driving employment, economic growth and productivity in Australia than wise planning and investment in infrastructure, which is why the introduction of the Infrastructure Australia Amendment Bill was most concerning. We will be heading back to the bad old days of regional rorts that became the focus of the Australian National Audit Office's most complex audit process ever. Ironically, these powers of greater intervention have been dressed up by the government as stronger governance.

Projects in my area like the Tourle Street bridge and the duplication of Cormorant Drive are still waiting to happen. This was a project that was agreed as being the number one priority for our region—a decision made through a very structured committee at arm's length from government processes. My region said it was the key piece of infrastructure required for that area. The upgrade would ease the traffic congestion between the City of Newcastle and our major industrial centres, the Newcastle airport and, most importantly, our RAAF base at Williamtown.

The Tourle Street bridge upgrade was due to receive $52 million of Federal funding under Labor's nation-building project. That funding was fully allocated in the 2013-14 budget but it still sits in the budget waiting to be spent by this new government. The Labor government understood the need for the upgrade and made those funds available. This self-proclaimed 'infrastructure government' led by a self-proclaimed 'infrastructure Prime Minister' is stalling on that infrastructure development. The only infrastructure that this coalition government is committed to progressing—and I assume it is progressing, although we are still waiting to hear—is the second-rate, inadequate and already out-of-date proposal for broadband.

Infrastructure Australia has already affirmed that the most urgent challenge for the Australian communications sector is the relative disparity in access to high-speed broadband. This is evident throughout many urban areas, but it is especially a huge issue for regional Australia and it is an issue for Newcastle, our largest regional city. I still have residents in suburbs like Thornton and Stockton who have no access to broadband. Others are equally disadvantaged, like the 2,800 residents of Mayfield, who saw the construction of the National Broadband Network begin in their streets. That construction has now come to a halt and those residents are in limbo. The copper wire, fibre-to-the-node broadband proposed by this government will disadvantage these Novocastrians and disadvantage businesses waiting to participate in new global markets and the new digital economy.

Contrary to John Howard's declaration that, 'We don't do infrastructure; that is the job of states,' federal Labor had a clear plan for infrastructure in Australia. That is why we installed the first ever minister for infrastructure and created Infrastructure Australia. That is why we had the first plan for infrastructure in Australia. We committed to taking a coordinated approach to the development of the nation and did so in partnership with the independent and professional body of Infrastructure Australia, in genuine pursuit of a national interest. We removed the politics from infrastructure development, ensuring projects proceeded on merit.

The coalition has never had a plan for infrastructure or for Newcastle. Not a single project has been pledged or delivered to Newcastle by this coalition government—not one. This neglect of Newcastle is surprising given the significant contribution Newcastle makes to the Nation's economy. I call on this coalition government and this self-proclaimed 'infrastructure government' to stop stalling and commit to infrastructure in Newcastle, to release the budgeted funds for the Tourle Street bridge and Cormorant Drive upgrades and to develop a plan for the economic hub that is Newcastle.

There are many other projects on hold in my electorate. The government could begin negotiations with the state to look at diversification of the port with a view to allowing a container terminal to be put there. We could do with a quality rail link to our airport. But we are not hearing anything from this government despite our needs. The idea of putting the politics back into decision-making about infrastructure is a disaster for this nation and I do hope that the government will reconsider their current bill.

Question agreed to.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Federation Chamber stands adjourned until 09:30 am on Wednesday, 12 February 2014. I hope everyone has a very safe, happy Christmas and New Year.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 12:30