House debates

Thursday, 1 September 2016

Questions without Notice

Mayo Electorate

2:22 pm

Photo of Rebekha SharkieRebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister: the people of Mayo were made a series of funding commitments by the government during the recent election campaign, such as $14 million for road infrastructure, $3.7 million for the Mount Barker Regional Sports Hub, $500,000 for the Victor Harbour RSL and a mobile phone tower for Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island. Will the Prime Minister confirm that all of the election commitments made to Mayo will be honoured during this term of the parliament?

2:23 pm

Photo of Malcolm TurnbullMalcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her first question in this House. The government will deliver on all of its local election commitments, including to the people of Mayo.

The people of Mayo will also benefit from the government's national economic plan. In the electorate of Mayo there are over 20,000 small businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million that will benefit from lower tax rates or increased concessions this tax year. The honourable member's constituents are already benefiting from the rollout of the NBN. Approximately 37,600 homes and businesses can connect and over 16,432 have an active NBN broadband service in Mayo. By the end of 2018 approximately 86,000 homes and businesses will either be able to connect to the NBN or will have services under construction.

The government will deliver its promise to extend the mobile black spot program in Mayo and will invite mobile network operators to bid for funding to provide coverage to Ashbourne and Kangaroo Island. Our commitments to Mayo will help boost the local economy, support local communities and provide more jobs. We will improve road infrastructure by investing $14 million to upgrade roads between Lobethal and Mount Barker. These commitments include $3.75 million for the Mount Barker Regional Sports Hub to deliver first-class sport and function facilities for the local community and half a million dollars towards the Victor Harbour community facility.

We will also deliver on our commitment to upgrade sporting facilities for Strathalbyn Football Club, the Adelaide Hills Hawks Soccer Club and Yankalilla Hockey Club. And we will deliver on our commitment to improve the local environment in Mayo. These will include two new Green Army projects for the Lower Lakes and the Adelaide Hills, and more support for community groups to install solar and battery storage.

The government will deliver for all of the people of Australia and, indeed, the people of Mayo in this 45th Parliament. We will honour our election commitment and deliver on the strong, clear economic leadership that we took to the election and that was endorsed by the Australian people.