Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my first speech in this chamber just over two years ago, I spoke about the remarkable resilience of the Kyogle community, a community that is so proudly self-reliant that in the late 60s when they wanted a new road through to Brisbane that they could not get government funding for, they simply cleared the land and built it themselves on voluntary labour.

It is called 'Lions Road' because the local Lions Club were the force behind it. I could mention many individuals who were involved, but I just want to touch on a few of them. Jack Hurley was a great community contributor and was very much behind it, as was Alan Brown. Very sadly, Alan passed away just last Friday. He was also a foundation member of the Kyogle Lions Club. That club is over 60 years old, and John Shirley is now the only remaining foundation member still alive at that club. Murphy Standfield donated what was the biggest tractor in the area at the time—his D8 Caterpillar tractor—and he supervised the actual construction of the road. Mel Hogan and Athel Matheson donated tractors and did a lot of work as well, as, indeed, did all the members of the Lions Club at that time.

They would go out there on weekends because, obviously, they all had jobs or businesses. This was voluntary, so they did it on weekends when they were not working in their business or in their job. Often, the whole family would go. Women would prepare meals and children would play with the other kids who were up there with their families. It was dangerous work—it goes through a mountain range. There were lots of creeks, streams and rivers. They built many bridges. As I said, it was over a mountain range, but no-one was seriously injured.

This stretch of road has a special place within the community. Last month, I was privileged to continue this story by announcing that, under the government's Bridges Renewal Program, we would give them money to replace seven of the ageing wooden bridges along the Lions Road. It is a great Kyogle story. It is a great tradition. That road will always live in the hearts of everyone in the region, and it was great to be part of that last month.

The federal government have almost tripled the money that we give to fix and maintain local roads in the Roads to Recovery Program. The Lismore City Council has received around $700,000 to $800,000 per year, usually from the federal government, for this program. We have increased that this year and next year to over $2 million. I would like to mention some of the works that are happening in our community as a result of this program. Work has already happened to widen and improve Magellan Street between Brewster and Cathcart Streets, with a second coat of final seal expected to be completed in March. Two sections of Kyogle Road near Casino Street are also awaiting their final coat of seal; that will be in September. Work on Brewster Street between Ewing and Magellan Streets is almost complete as well. The widening of Zadoc Street from Dawson to Keen Streets was mostly finished last month and will finish soon and a further $500,000 will be used to widen and improve Hunter Street between Uralba and Orion Streets, with work scheduled to start in April. Also around this time there will be a widening and reconstruction of Wyrallah Road between Ballina Road and Leslie Lane. Similar work on Wyrallah Road near Skyline Road will commence later this year. This is all thanks to the tripling of the money from the federal government to the local council.

As I said earlier, the federal government is giving local councils triple what they normally get in Roads to Recovery funding, and this year the Richmond Valley Council will get $2 million to fix local roads. The decisions on which roads to fix is for the council, but, in the Richmond Valley Council, the roads that are scheduled to be repaired in Casino are: Laburnum Avenue, Farley Street and Simpsons Parade. There are also the Old Tenterfield and Wyan Roads, the Mongogarie Road near Leeville and the Main Camp Road at Main Camp. More than 20 sections of urban and rural roads will also be resealed in North Casino: Charolais Avenue, Horrie Drive, Jersey Drive, Stockman Close, Brumby Place, Hereford Drive, Angus Place, Brahman Way, Te Arowa Drive and Scotts Road. You will probably recognise, Mr Deputy Speaker, given it is the beef capital of Australia, a lot of the streets are named after cattle breeds.

In Casino, sections of Rayner Street, Hotham Street and Ellangowan Road will also be resealed. Sections of Lagoon Road and Peersons Quarry Road in Coraki will also be resealed, as well as Broadwater Bridge Road in Broadwater, Gap Road at The Gap, Swan Bay Road-New Italy Road in New Italy, Leeville Station Road in Leeville and Tatham-Greenridge Road in Greenridge.

We will also be giving more money this year in Roads to Recovery funding to the Kyogle Council. They will receive over $2 million this year to fix local roads—triple what they normally get. That means the council will be fixing the following roads: Gradys Creek Road, 3.17 kilometres from the intersection of Summerland Way to 4.5 kilometres from the intersection of Summerland Way near The Risk; Ettrick Road, 2.1 kilometres from the intersection of Afterlee Road to 2.5 kilometres from the intersection with Afterlee Road; Ettrick Road from the intersection of Afterlee road; Kyogle Road, from Fawcetts Plain Road to Fawcetts Plain Road near Lillian Rock, will be redone; the Lynchs Creek Road up to the Summerland Way near Lynchs Creek will also be improved; as well as Anzac Drive near Geneva, west of Norton Street. Again, those are all great local infrastructure projects to improve local roads in our region.

Debate adjourned.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 18:41