Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I welcome the appointment of a Central Queensland face onto the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility board. Yeppoon-based Karla Way-McPhail was appointed to the seven-member board, which will supervise the rollout of the northern Australia funding pool for major infrastructure. Mrs McPhail is CEO of a resource training company, Coal Train, based on the Capricorn Coast. As the local federal representative, I have been pushing for a Central Queensland face on the board and Mrs McPhail's appointment is very significant for Capricornia. The Capricornia community will benefit from the development of infrastructure in northern Australia through the government's $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. It is the role of NAIF board to oversee aspects of this facility. Meanwhile, speaking of infrastructure, I am pleased to inform the House of progress that I, and our coalition government, are making positive progress in delivering serious and tangible infrastructure projects to my electorate of Capricornia.

I am proud to report that in the 2½ years that I have been working hard for Capricornia I have helped to secure over $550 million in funding for infrastructure projects across the electorate. Such projects are designed to stimulate economic activity and employment. Recently, $20 million in new federal funding was announced for three key projects under the federal government's National Stronger Regions Fund. This includes $2.34 million for the Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service to construct a new hangar and medical aviation centre in Rockhampton; $7 million which will go towards the revamp and upgrade of the Rockhampton riverbank redevelopment on the Fitzroy in the city's CBD—this funding will support the Rockhampton Regional Council's project for better facilities and the opportunity for greater economic activity in the area; and $10 million which will go towards stages 4 and 5 of the Yeppoon beachfront foreshore redevelopment on the Capricorn Coast as part of a major economic job creation and tourist drawcard.

Further to this, the federal government has partially contributed to the $12 million rebuild of the Scenic Highway, or Statue Bay Road, in Yeppoon following Cyclone Marcia, $3 million to continue further rebuilding of Kershaw Gardens in Rockhampton and $5.2 million towards fixing stormwater problems in Frenchville and York Street at Splitters Creek Crossing in Rockhampton. There is also the strengthening of the rebuild of Pilbeam Drive, Glenmore Water Treatment Plant, Dean Street, Capricorn Street and Elphinstone Street in Rockhampton. The people of Frenchville and other parts of North Rockhampton deserve to have their problems fixed.

I am proud that this coalition government is chipping in. It is recognised that due to the current mining downturn the local economy in Capricornia is doing it tough. The $30 million investments in infrastructure I have just outlined will go a long way towards stimulating economic activity and job potential in these areas. Our federal coalition government has already been investing heavily in roadbuilding projects to provide jobs to help offset the mining sector downturn. This includes $166 million to fix up the Eton Range section of the notorious Peak Downs Highway, west of Mackay, where work began in January; $38.26 million to replace seven old bridges in Isaac and Rockhampton shires under the federal Bridges Renewal Program; $8.5 million on overtaking lanes on the Bruce Highway near Sarina; $15.5 million to construct three new overtaking lanes and to extend a fourth along the Bruce Highway from Rockhampton to north of Gladstone; $29.4 million in Roads to Recovery grants over five years to help fix up council roads and streets in five shires including Rockhampton, Livingstone, Isaac, Mackay and Whitsunday; and $136 million to complete the stage 2 Yeppen South floodplain project on the Bruce Highway south of Rockhampton, which opened in December.

Further to this, we are improving mobile phone coverage in Capricornia, with a $3.14 million program to build or upgrade four new base stations, delivering better services to families in areas around Clarke Creek, Marlborough, Mt Chalmers Road—between Rockhampton and Yeppoon—and Gargett in the Pioneer Valley.