Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The budgets that a government brings down and the amendments that are made in the half-yearly review—examples of which are now before this chamber for consideration—tell us everything that we need to know about any government's priorities. They are there for all to see in the bills before us today, the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2017-2018 and the Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2017-2018. This government's priority is to pursue tax cuts for millionaires, the big end of town and large businesses, with some sort of discredited trickle-down theory attempting to convince the general public that this is going to be to their broader benefit. It's interesting to note that the Prime Minister, having visited the US in recent days, has again reiterated his view that this is the way to go for the Australian experience in the Australian economy.

There is a glaring chasm of difference between what I am hearing directly from my community—and I'm sure my colleagues are hearing as well—and the government's view of what is needed and its priorities as reflected in these bills. What I hear consistently from local constituents is that they are feeling squeezed. They are finding it harder and harder to bring sufficient income into their households to meet the increasing costs of living that they are facing across the board. It doesn't matter whether they are wage earners, small business owners or people on a pension or an income support payment of some sort. All across the board, the feedback is about the pressure that is caused because the money coming into their households, however they are made up, is becoming increasingly less able to meet the costs of living that they face.

I want to take the few minutes that are left to me in this debate to report some things the House. Because I wanted to get a deeper sense of how all this is playing out in my community, I launched a survey asking people to give me some feedback—whatever they were comfortable with—about the issues of wage pressures and cost pressures in their households. In just over 48 hours 800 local people had gone online to complete that survey. That tells me, as I'm sure it will be the case in many electorates, that this is a really pressing issue for local people. I want to highlight one aspect.

I particularly asked questions around health and private health insurance because it's a debate that we're having at the national level. In response to the question asking people what items were causing pressure on their family budget, 40 per cent indicated that the cost of doctors and specialist visits was an issue, 30 per cent indicated that the cost of pharmaceuticals was an issue and 55 per cent indicated that the cost of their private health insurance was an issue. There has been the combination of the government ticking off on private health insurance rises year after year and the stubborn policy that means that people are paying more for their visits to doctors and specialists, and for a range of diagnostic testing as well, as the gap widens and deepens in terms of the cost that they are paying. This aspect of health in the family budget is becoming a real problem. I think it's an indictment on the government that they are not addressing policies that will alleviate some of that pressure and give people some peace of mind that they can get the health care they need when they need it and not be forced to make decisions about whether they will buy groceries this week, have an x-ray scan or continue to pay for private health insurance to cover them—or any of those really difficult decisions families are faced with.

I will give the House an idea of some of the comments I received in the survey. Jason said:

Even though I have good coverage, the Basic things like massages and chiro have been heavily cut back. Medicines are always being removed from any coverage and the cost of insurance is always increasing, but not the coverage.

I think Jason's last comment there really captured the common frustration people are expressing with private health insurance—the cost is always increasing, not the coverage. That is a frustration. Martin said:

Not considered value for money. The premiums keep going up and the cover (i.e. exclusions) keep reducing. The gap payments are excessive and keep increasing.

Helen wrote to me:

It was recently useful when my partner had to have surgery. We had to pay the excess only for the actual hospital stay … However the specialists can charge what they like despite supposed agreements with private hospitals, so we were very out of pocket with the copayments and any specialist visits subsequently. There were 3 specialists involved.

Roslyn said:

My health fund does not cover anything like the amount doctors charge.

Scott said:

The scheduled fees are almost always much less than the actual medical costs (especially in the private system), which always has to be made up in the form of gap payments on top of your private health insurance premiums.

There is a lot of frustration and a lot of concern out in our communities about the pressures on family budgets. We have before us appropriation bills once again that are about decreasing the income coming in—in this case for pensioners with the plan to abolish the energy supplement and for students with increased costs. Across the board people are feeling the pressure on their budgets. They're having increased costs for really critical issues like health. The government's priorities are completely wrong. I think that this legislation is a continuation of that problem.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about some of the government's decisions in the recent budget in relation to education and some of the decisions they have made in relation to education funding in recent years. The government is cutting $17 billion from Australian schools. If you compare the signed agreements and policies of the last Labor government and what this government will deliver to Australian schools over the next decade, it is $17 billion less.

One of the very disturbing things about the enormity of this cut—it is extraordinary when you think about the difference that $17 billion would make in our schools—is not the size. The worst thing about this cut is that it hits the poorest kids in the neediest schools the hardest. New data from the Parliamentary Budget Office and the National Catholic Education Commission shows very clearly what the difference is between Labor's plan and the government's plan. In the next two years alone—the calendar year that we're in and calendar year 2019—there is a cut of $2.19 billion. Disturbingly, 86 per cent of this cut comes from public schools. That's $1.88 billion.

This is despite the fact that public schools teach the majority of kids in Australia. They teach about two out of every three children in Australia. Most particularly, they teach the majority of kids with additional needs. Public schools educate 74 per cent of children with disabilities. Public schools educate 82 per cent of children from the bottom quarter of socioeconomic advantage. Public schools teach 84 per cent of Indigenous children. So the biggest cuts go to the system that has the biggest proportion of children with additional needs.

We had in the campaign from the government to back in these cuts an extraordinary sleight-of-hand diversion tactic where we had the Minister for Education out saying, 'Well, if we can change things according to our plan, we'll see big cuts to elite private schools.' The numbers just don't bear that out in any way. What's really depressing about this is that the Greens party room actually fell for it. Their education spokesperson, Senator Hanson-Young, absolutely swallowed hook, line and sinker the government's line and was all set to vote for an education funding package that saw the biggest cuts—86 per cent of all the money lost from the system—lost from public schools. It was only when the New South Wales Senator Lee Rhiannon stood up against these cuts in the party room of the Greens that in fact the Greens were not able to throw their support behind the government's attack on public school education, but Senator Rhiannon's reward for that is being disendorsed by the New South Wales branch of the Greens. It's very disappointing that her punishment for standing up for public schools is to lose her endorsement as a senator.

Independent schools educate about 15 per cent of children. Only about two per cent of cuts will hit independent schools. Catholic schools, which educate about 20 per cent of children, lose $250 million.

This new funding model absolutely locks in inequity for years to come. What the federal government has done is say that it will fund 20 per cent of the cost of educating a child in the public system. Of the schooling resource standard for public schools, the federal government will meet 20 per cent, but it will meet 80 per cent of the schooling resource standard for children in the non-government sector. There is no way on God's earth that that is sector-blind. There is actually a different formula depending on whether you're at a public school or a non-government school. The proportion of the schooling resource standard that goes to a child in those different systems is determined by the sector that they're in. This is not sector-blind. It means that the vast majority of children attending public schools will never have their funding reach the schooling resource standard, so it's certainly not needs based and it's not sector-blind. When the public school systems in places like the Northern Territory and Tasmania are the hardest hit, that just shows that this system is not needs based, not in the least. Of course, it's bad for our children and it's bad for our schools, but it's also bad for the economic prosperity of this nation and for social cohesion in the future.

A system where the largest amount of money in the shortest time goes to the neediest kids in the neediest schools—that's what Labor aims for. People say there's no silver bullet when it comes to tackling inequality and disadvantage. Well, there pretty much is. If we get our school system right, along with early childhood education and preschool, we can make the biggest difference to people's lives. We on this side are absolutely committed not just to restoring the $17 billion that the government has cut from schools over the next decade but to restoring true needs based, sector-blind funding, where the most disadvantaged children are the ones that get the most support and every child in every system is given every opportunity to reach their potential.

Of course, the money is absolutely vital. You can't cut $17 billion from schools and not expect to see an impact over the next decade. But it's not just about the money. I think it's very important to say that when we left government there was a fully developed reform agenda for our schools. That was junked by the Liberals. There's still nothing in its place. They've asked David Gonski to do a second review, and at some stage they'll release that review. But for five years there have been only cuts and there has been no reform agenda. That's why we have said that of course we will hear what Mr Gonski has to say in his second review, but we're not waiting for that. We've already announced a 10-year initiative for an evidence institute for schools worth $280 million over the next decade. This is designed to take the politics out of education research. We know that teachers want the best for the kids in the classroom. We know that there are constant new discoveries about the best way for children to learn, new discoveries about brain development. We need to make sure those new discoveries go from best practice to common practice in our classrooms as efficiently and as effectively as possible, that teachers are supported to upgrade their skills through continuous professional development and that the new research translating into the classroom is supported by best practice guides and easily digestible information from the evidence institute for schools.

I will finish on school funding with this: one of most disappointing things is that many of the electorates hit hardest by these big funding cuts are National Party electorates. As Adrian Piccoli, the former New South Wales education minister, pointed out, a lot of poor kids live in country areas and they're going to poor schools too. It's so disappointing to see the National Party have been prepared to roll over on the issue of schools funding that massively disadvantages schools and their electorates.

When it comes to vocational education and TAFE we've also seen very substantial budget cuts from those opposite. Since the coalition came to office, we've seen about $2¾ billion cut from TAFE training and vocational education. In response to last year's budget, which saw further cuts to TAFE, Labor has pledged to put TAFE back at the centre of our national training system, with a pledge that a Labor government would allocate two out of every three dollars of increased funding to public vocational education going to public TAFE. We would reverse more than $600 million of cuts in the last budget to TAFE and we'd additionally invest $100 million in the new Building TAFE for the Future Fund. There are today about 140,000 fewer apprentices and trainees than when Labor left office. TAFE has been completely run down under this government. That's why last week I was delighted to announce that, if we are elected at the next federal election, a Labor government will undertake a once-in-a-generation look at our post-secondary school education system.

We know that the jobs of the future are changing all the time. We know that young people are not just going to be doing a number of jobs through their working lives; they're going to have a number of careers. They're going to need to continually upgrade their skills and knowledge. We want to make sure that our TAFE system is strong and excellent and an equally attractive option for young people after they leave school and that our university system is strong and excellent and great quality as well, including the research that they do. We want to make sure that these two systems are both among the best in the world, that they operate better together and that they continue to work together to make sure that Australians genuinely have opportunities for lifelong learning.

Finally, the government's made a series of attempts to cut university funding. We have successfully held back the tide on cuts to university funding, but just before Christmas the government decided that they would go behind the back of the parliament—they bypassed parliament—to argue for $2.2 billion of cuts to our universities in a way that would effectively kill off the demand-driven system introduced by Labor when we were last in government. We are proud of the 190,000 extra students we got going to universities because of our demand-driven system. The way that the government have implemented this most recent lot of back-door funding cuts means an effective capping of the number of students at university. It means that in 2018 alone 9½ thousand places will not be funded.

Universities have told us that they will offer fewer places, and the worst affected universities will be the outer suburban and the regional universities. Again, you have to ask: why would the National Party sign up for university funding cuts that very clearly particularly disadvantage regional universities? Of course all universities will be hard-hit by $2.2 billion worth of cuts, but the city universities have more revenue streams, more ways of making up the funding difference for their universities. Southern Cross University will lose $25 million; James Cook University, $36 million; CQUniversity, $38 million; University of New England, $30 million; Charles Sturt University, $57 million. That is going to be very hard on those universities.

The measure to lower the HELP repayment threshold to $45,000 so that you start repaying much sooner on a much lower wage, which those opposite want us to support, is going to hit people in regional communities much harder. We know that a lot of people in regional communities have lower starting salaries. And, let's face it, we've still got a gender pay gap in this country, which means women will be affected more by these lowered repayment thresholds as well. We know those opposite are still committed to $100,000 university degrees. We know that the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program is still under threat as long as this government is in office. We know that they're still trying to abolish the $3.7 billion Education Investment Fund in the Senate.

We are proud of our measures that saw substantial increases in university funding from about $8 billion when we came to office to about $14 billion when we left office. We're proud of the fact that we saw many more students, particularly many more students who were the first in their family to attend university, given that opportunity based on their willingness to work hard and study, not on their parents' pay packet.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm really pleased to rise and speak on the appropriation bill. Infrastructure, schools, jobs, support for the vulnerable and relief from the rising cost of living are all key priorities that received a boost in the federal budget. Before the member for Sydney leaves the chamber, I'll add, in response to her comments, that there are no cuts to school funding.

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Rubbish!

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are no cuts to school funding, and the member opposite is being very dishonest in saying that there is. The Quality Schools package will deliver an extra $25.3 billion in recurrent funding for Australian schools over the next 10 years, on top of the 2016-17 budget settings. This will bring total Commonwealth recurrent funding to almost $250 billion over the 2018 to 2027 years. For the first time, real needs based funding will be provided and will grow from $17½ billion in 2017 to $31.1 billion in 2027. For the member for Sydney, that's an additional $13.6 billion that keeps going up and up and up every year.

In my own electorate of Petrie, what that means for schools like Aspley East State School is that right now, this year, they'll receive $2,383 per student, and in 2027 they'll receive over $3,500 per student. This is every year; it keeps going up. So it's $2,383, and next year it'll be higher, and the year after that it'll be higher again, and the year after that it'll be higher again. And the member for Sydney has the gall to come in here and say that it's a cut! Aspley Special School in my electorate, which receives $9,452 per student, will be receiving over $14,000 in 2027, and it goes up every year. I could go through all 45 schools in my electorate, because every single one of them receives an increase. Every single school receives an increase.

The member opposite fails to mention as well that in state schools 80 per cent of the funding comes from state governments. The Queensland government is providing 80 per cent of the funding to state schools, and we're doing 20 per cent. That goes up, and it matches their funding. In the private schools, the Queensland state government funds 20 per cent and we do 80 per cent. But every school will be better off, and it will continue to grow each year.

In addition, just last week two local schools in my electorate, Clontarf Beach State School and Humpybong State School—one of the oldest schools in my electorate, well over 100 years old—were successful in the Digital Literacy School Grants program and will receive almost $100,000 between the two of them, almost $50,000 each, as part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda, because we know how important NISA, or the National Innovation and Science Agenda, is for young students in my electorate and right around this country in relation to building jobs of the future.

In relation to universities, the member opposite continues to be dishonest and talk about $100,000 degrees. I'll say to everyone listening to this broadcast, and everyone listening in my electorate, that the federal government pays 60 per cent of all the costs. So if you have a degree costing $100,000, as the member for Sydney, the shadow minister, is saying, that means the federal government would be up for $60,000, and then $40,000 is HECS. So why would any government want the cost of a degree to continue to grow like that if we're paying 60 per cent of the cost? Her arguments don't stack up, they're flawed and she should be honest with the Australian people.

Just before we get off education, I'll just mention, in relation to universities, that the member for Dickson and I have been able to deliver for the Moreton Bay region a lot of funding in relation to the University of the Sunshine Coast Moreton Bay campus, which will be opened in 2020. So every young person in the Petrie electorate, the Dickson electorate and the Longman electorate will be able to go to university in 2020 in Petrie, at the old Petrie paper mill. We've secured a $35 million grant to the council to help build the infrastructure, we've secured a $121 million low-interest loan to help the USC build the buildings and so forth, and we've also secured additional funding for student placements, which is very important as well.

In relation to health funding, funding was also increased more than ever before for hospitals, medicines and Medicare. Federal funding for public hospital services under the coalition has increased from $13.8 billion in 2013 to a record $22.7 billion in years to come, just in 2021. This means that funding is flowing to the state governments for more hospital services, more doctors and more nurses. This is very important for hospitals in and around my electorate of Petrie, like the Redcliffe Hospital, the Prince Charles Hospital and three other public hospitals that are funded by the Commonwealth through the Metro North Hospital and Health Service in Queensland. In 2016-17 the Commonwealth contributed $776.2 million to Metro North Hospital and Health Service in activity based funding, an increase for health of $119 million from the year before.

This just shows how the coalition government is increasing funding to schools and education and increasing funding for health and hospitals. How have we done that? We have a plan for jobs and growth, and those opposite don't. We heard the Treasurer in question time today talk about how the government is on track and delivering—16,000 jobs were added in January alone, bringing some 400,000 new jobs for the year in Australia. That's a record, for the benefit of those in the gallery, those in my electorate and those listening. That is an absolute record of 400,000 new jobs created in 12 months. Over 75 per cent were full time. Those opposite like to talk about casualisation, but 75 per cent of the jobs were full time. We have had 16 consecutive months of jobs growth—the longest run of jobs growth ever recorded. That's not just in the last five years or the last 10 years. It's the longest run ever recorded.

What did we say at the last election? What did Prime Minister Turnbull say at the last election? He said: 'Elect the coalition. Vote for the coalition. We have a plan for jobs and growth.' And we are delivering. It's because we had a plan. We had a plan around our free trade agreements. We had a plan around defence manufacturing. And we had a plan around business tax cuts. We know that reducing tax, in whatever sector you do it, flows to everyone in the community. We are seeing that through the jobs growth. There is the evidence for the Senate, the crossbench and those opposite. There is massive amounts of jobs growth in SMEs and in businesses in my electorate such as Kingswood Cabinets at Narangba, which has grown from two staff to some 50 now, or East Coast Bullbars in Clontarf in my electorate or Village Motors at North Lakes that has a turnover of some $80 million and employs hundreds of people. When I spoke to the owner there, Marlene Newton, she said that cutting company tax will help her employ more people. That's the evidence. That's a business that's turning over above $50 million. We need the parliament to let us continue on with our plan and go with tax cuts so we're not stuck on 30 per cent here in Australia when Indonesia, our nearest neighbour, is on 25 per cent, the US is on 21 per cent and over in the UK they're about to go to 17 per cent.

I want to see that happen so I can continue to fund local community groups in my electorate. I've been able to get record funding for them. If I talk about a few clubs and organisations in my electorate, tell me what they all have in common: the Patriots Moreton Bay motorcycle club in Redcliffe, the Lions Recycle for Sight, the Bracken Ridge scout hall, the Bald Hills scout hall, the Endeavour Foundation that is doing a great job for those who are disabled in my electorate, Encircle Redcliffe helping people with domestic violence, the Lighthouse Centre at Deception Bay, the Ridge Hills United Football Club that I've been asked to deliver for, the Deception Bay soccer club and the Aspley Memorial Bowls Club.

What do they all have in common? They've secured from the coalition government solar funding on every one of their buildings. Why that is an advantage to those clubs and community organisations is that we are lowering their costs. Each year their power bill—and we know power is expensive and it has gone up, particularly in Queensland—will come down because we have been able to install solar. We could not do that without our plan for jobs and growth. I say to the Senate: let us continue that plan. We took it to the last election. We've seen 12 months of evidence, with record jobs growth, with 16 consecutive months of growth. Let us continue that so that we can continue to fund clubs and organisations like that in my electorate, in the member for Mayo's electorate, the member for Sydney's electorate and the electorates of all members and senators in this place.

We've also been able to fund $4,290 for Moreton Media Group 99.7 FM to replace a new transmitter. That is great news for those guys. This morning I was talking to Colin Scobie, the chair of the board, who is looking to replace that transmitter, and I want to thank Ray and Tahlia, who are the managers, for the great job they are doing. I also want to talk about the Aspley Devils Rugby League Club, where I've been able to secure $80,000 to install a water harvesting system. I was talking to Julie from the club this morning who was saying that the 210,000 litre water harvesting system that they've been able to install due to this grant is now half full, because we had massive rain in Brisbane and Moreton Bay over last weekend.

Because of our plan for jobs and growth, we've been able to fund North Lakes Leopards Junior Rugby Union Club with $10,000 to go towards upgrades to their canteen, audio visual equipment and repairs to their fence. Thank you, Jarrod, and all the volunteers at that rugby union club for what you are doing. We secured $10,000 for upgrades to the fields of North Lakes Mustangs Football Club. Once again, thanks to the volunteers and all the players there. We have been able to fund these because of our plans for jobs and growth.

We've also been able to fund vital road infrastructure like the Rothwell roundabout. We were able to secure $11,7 million to make sure that the Rothwell roundabout becomes a signalised intersection. It's now completed. It's now delivered. We've also secured funding for $84 billion for the Boundary Road overpass, which is a new six-lane overpass crossing the highway. Why have we been able to fund it? Because of the coalition's plan for jobs and growth. The Boundary Road overpass is now a reality, helping the people of North Lakes and those businesses in the Narangba.

I've also got funding, secured in last year's budget, for the Deception Bay Interchange. So those people in Deception Bay: we're remembering you. We know that we need to look after your interchange as well. I've been able to secure $120 million for you. That work will start later this year when the Queensland Department of Main Roads awards the contract. I've been able to secure $4 million for Dolphin Stadium to upgrade the grandstands. We had an international tournament played there on the weekend. We were also able to secure $9 million for Telegraph Road stage 1B in Bracken Ridge—widening the lanes there. How do we do this? Because of our plan for jobs and growth. That's how we do it. So I say to the parliament, to the 150 members in this place: if you want to continue to see funding flow to your electorate, we need to be able to make sure that the government's income increases. We know that by reducing tax and stimulating investment, we'll continue to see more investment.

I've also been able to secure funding of $400,000 for Redcliffe Surf Life Saving Club; $450,00 for the Redcliffe Police and Citizens Youth Club; and $150,000 for the Bald Hills Memorial Hall, which I am opening this Saturday. I could go on, but I have run out of time. I'll talk more about it later, but I would ask the parliament to support our plan for jobs.

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2017-2018 and Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2017-2018. Deputy Speaker Andrews, as the Father of the House, I am sure you have not only heard many speeches like this but have presented many yourself to the parliament over the many years that you have been in the parliament. I see you are now leaving the chair so I will continue to deliver my speech to the new deputy speaker. This bill seals authority from the parliament to provide funding for projects that are not within the purview of ordinary annual services that the government provides—namely, capital works and the services and payments to or for other government bodies such as states, territories and local government.

So it is with enthusiasm that I will update the House on the exciting projects underway in my electorate of Swan. I know during the course of the appropriation bills speeches, we've heard endless negativity from the other side. But I am happy to stand here today and talk about the positive aspects of what the government is doing and has done in my electorate. In the east of my electorate there has been significant investment in infrastructure in both public transport and roads.

The Gateway WA project has been completed for some time now. It was initiated by the previous government but was based purely on the funding from the mining tax. We know what happened to the mining tax; it disappeared because it did not raise any funds. But the coalition government continued to complete that project without any funding from the mining tax. It was a project that was sorely needed and was part of a project that would have been fantastic heading into Roe 8 but, as we saw, the new Labor state government stopped that. It was part of the suite of infrastructure projects that were going to reduce congestion on West Australian roads but it has been stopped by the state Labor government.

The Gateway WA project was a major project in WA. In fact, it was the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Main Roads. It focused primarily on the Tonkin Highway, the Great Eastern Highway to Roe Highway and Leach Highway, Orrong Road to Perth airport. It fixed major intersections such as Abernathy Road and the Leach Highway intersection, removed traffic lights and subsequently reduced travel times. Main Roads had noted the need for this project was driven primarily by the expected doubling of air travel and road freight over the next decade.

Despite all the fantastic work that has already been completed, there is still a lot more work that the federal government is committed to in the eastern section of my electorate. From a public transport perspective, the Forrestfield Airport Link is an exciting project which will connect residents to the Perth airport and the Perth CBD. This project was funded by the federal coalition government and the previous state Liberal government led by Colin Barnett. While the current state Labor government will try to claim the airport link as part of the grand metro net—or metro debt, a pipedream of train lines conveniently to every suburb in a marginal state seat—I'd like to remind the House that this line, the Forrestfield Airport Link, was the work of the coalition at both state and federal level. The $490 million of federal funding for this project was secured as a repayment for Western Australia's low share of the GST.

While those opposite sprout poor alternatives to fixing WA's low share of the GST, the coalition has delivered much-needed top-up funding in my electorate. This project will change the way that public transport is used by those in the east of my electorate. For residents in the Belmont area, catching a train to the Perth CBD from a local train station will be easy with the construction of the Redcliffe train station. A train station at Perth airport will now allow for easy and cheap access to the airport as well as a train line from the airport to the Perth CBD.

The third and final train station of the Forrestfield Airport Link is the construction of the train station in High Wycombe, which will mean only a 20-minute train trip to the city for my constituents in High Wycombe. The station in High Wycombe was initially named Forrestfield; however, due to its physical location being in High Wycombe, there has been a campaign in which I have participated in for its name to reflect its location. In November last year, I sent out a survey to the residents of High Wycombe to see what my constituents would like their local train station to be called. My office received hundreds of replies and had unanimous support from the residents of High Wycombe for the name 'High Wycombe'. The community of High Wycombe is now hoping they'll be given the opportunity by the state government to rightly change the name of the station. It would simply be following the precedent set by the state government, which allowed Belmont residents to vote to name their train station Redcliffe instead of the originally proposed name of Belmont. I encourage the state government to follow its own precedent and listen to the voices of local residents. Once completed in 2020, the airport link will provide a faster travel option than a car to the Perth CBD. It will also help ease bus congestion on roads like the Great Eastern Highway Bypass and the Kalamunda Road, with train becoming the primary public transport use for those in High Wycombe and the surrounding feeder-in suburbs.

In terms of road infrastructure, a lot has been achieved in the east of my electorate as mentioned previously by the Gateway WA project. However, this did not extend to High Wycombe, which was not in the electorate of Swan at the time of the Gateway WA project.

The intersection upgrade of Roe Highway and Kalamunda Road will be an important one for the High Wycombe community. The intersection is one of the last remaining signalised intersections on Roe Highway and has more than 110,000 vehicles pass through it every day, with up to 14 per cent, or 15,000, of these vehicles being heavy vehicles. This intersection is quite the contrast in roads. It has Roe Highway, a major dual carriageway in Perth, and Kalamunda Road, a suburban road going through High Wycombe. It is the major thoroughfare for traffic in and out of High Wycombe. Currently, the intersection causes a major delay on Roe Highway, but it also poses a major safety concern and has resulted in multiple fatal road crashes. The side of the road always has a number of crosses erected in memory of those who have been killed on this dangerous stretch. They are a reminder to drivers to take extra care when driving past this intersection or through it. In the five-year period between 2012 and 2016, there were 204 recorded crashes at the intersection, and 30 serious injuries occurred. That's why the Federal coalition government has prioritised this project and contributed $68.8 million of the $86 million that this upgrade will cost. This project also borders not only Swan but Hasluck, and I know the member for Hasluck has been very strong in his advocacy for funding for this project.

This project will result in a grade separation of the intersection, a very similar project to what occurred at the intersections that were fixed by the Gateway WA project. Other benefits of the project include improved safety for cyclists and pedestrians using the intersection. I recall for the House that when I took the Treasurer to the intersection in June last year it took over five minutes to cross the road on the Roe Highway side. Enhanced efficiency for freight is also a major part of the project. Of course, if the state Labor government weren't so radical as to not support all the infrastructure and roads that we're progressing in WA, then this intersection upgrade would be part of the much-needed Perth Freight Link, which would take trucks straight to the Fremantle port from Roe Highway. But, as I say, that project has been knocked on the head by the state government. Alas, here we are. But I'm pleased to advise that work on the project will begin next financial year and is due to be completed by mid-2020. It is a big win for the people of High Wycombe and Kalamunda and for all of my area, which is the transport hub of Western Australia.

I'd also like to update the House on a project that I have been fighting for since 2009. I know I've worn a few carpets out between ministers' offices, sharing my case and advocating for the need for a Manning Road on-ramp. As I have informed this house before, there is currently no southbound direct connection from the major arterial road onto the southbound freeway. To go southbound, you have to do a loop that sends you up to the Canning Bridge station and then back down a complex system of the Canning Highway on-ramp and the Manning Road off-ramp. This ridiculously complex system is heavily congested, resulting in rat runs throughout the suburban streets just to avoid navigating the intersection. This project has been in planning documents for Perth's transport and infrastructure plans since the 1980s. Planners knew that traffic for this area was going to grow significantly in the future, yet, unfortunately, with all this information in front of them, all state governments ignored the planners and ignored the residents. With the growth of Curtin University, which is on Manning Road, to up to 40,000 students now, it's a required outcome.

With the opening of the Fiona Stanley Hospital in the electorate of Tangney, just down the freeway, and further development south of the river, this piece of infrastructure has continued to become more vital every year. A former member of this house, Alannah MacTiernan—now a state government minister—has consistently said that it will never go ahead. In 2006 she rubbished the idea in the WA state parliament, saying that it was not a priority and it wasn't required while she was the minister for transport and planning. In addition to this, the Labor duty senator for Swan, Sue Lines, made a speech in 2016 rubbishing the plan too, as it wasn't rail or public transport, and was adamant that federal Labor wouldn't support it. I recommend that the minister and the senator should now go and listen to the concerns of the residents who navigate it daily and tell them why the plan shouldn't go ahead. I doubt the responses will be to the liking of the minister or senator.

The coalition was proactive in its approach to the on-ramp. The Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance and the Treasurer visited the site, and I even took the Prime Minister with me, travelling along the route of the stretch that required people to do the loop around across the bridge to head into the southbound traffic. Subsequently, the Prime Minister agreed this needed a fix, and I'd like to thank him for sticking to his word and funding this vital project for my constituents.

Just a couple of months ago I spoke with Main Roads Western Australia on the project, with them informing me that the community support that they had received on this project was unlike any they had previously received for any project in WA. Just last week site works investigations were occurring down on Manning Road to assess underground services and their conditions to update plans and ensure this on-ramp can be built to last for many years to come. I was out and about doorknocking with some keen Young Liberals to update local residents on the project, noting it's due to be completed in the financial year on the weekend. The positive feedback I received proved just how important this is to my constituents.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the local member for South Perth, John McGrath, for the tireless work he has put in to get the state government on board with this project. He's been pushing the Manning Road on-ramp since 2005, when he was elected.

Another part of these appropriation bills supports community group focused grants such as the Stronger Communities Program, which I'm sure all members of this place strongly support and which has been able to provide funding to many needy groups within their own electorates. In my electorate of Swan I've often been oversubscribed to this electorate funding program, and the third round was no different. Many community groups submitted expressions of interest for great projects designed to help their small clubs grow. It is a wonderful thing to see funding given to organisations that are often run solely by volunteers with a love for the club and for their community. Many small clubs in my electorate have wanted to upgrade their ageing equipment to ensure that the children have access to the best equipment to pursue their sporting dreams.

The Victoria Park Athletics Club have been upgrading their high-jump mats with the funding from the Stronger Communities Program to ensure the kids can jump safely to follow their idols like Brandon Starc and Joel Baden. I cannot wait to see the club in coming weeks when I visit them to see new equipment in action.

The Canning Cougars are no different. They have upgraded all their safety equipment, with new mitts, masks and tees to ensure the players of Wilson, St James and Waterford can play tee-ball in Centenary Park safely and, hopefully, can get to the top of the ladder this year.

Another strong sporting group in my electorate that was successful in this program is the Cloverdale Comets. This group is a tee-ball based club in Cloverdale. They've been growing quite strong, with many locals getting involved in the club to the point that they've needed to upgrade their club rooms to make space for everyone who is joining up. The works are just being finalised, and I know it's made a big difference to their club.

Sporting groups are not the only ones to receive funding under this program. Just one example is the success of the Carlisle Scout Group. We had the Carlisle Scout Group apply to get a new trailer for their camps. Scouting has a long history in Western Australia, and in a time of constant technology and screen time in the lives of our children it is good to see them rejecting television for the great outdoors. I'm excited to see their new trailer in action as well.

As you can see, this funding is vital for many small club groups and grassroots organisations to help them grow and to support work they do in our growing communities. All of these projects will help create a stronger and more vibrant community within my electorate of Swan.

Another important project is that which endeavours to protect the environment of Swan. My electorate is bordered on three sides by the Swan and Canning rivers, and it is imperative that we ensure they are looked after. My election commitment for the Swan Canning River Recovery program will help ensure that we have pristine waterways and look after our environment. It is an election commitment that only the coalition has ever committed to. This is the second tranche, and in the two tranches we've made a total commitment of $2 million.

This government is committed to ensuring the removal of Hydrocotyle from our riverways and supports the environment groups at the coalface of removing this insidious weed from our rivers. This program has been integral to restoring our riverbed and clearing the waterways, and I thank the Minister for the Environment and Energy for recently joining me at an afternoon tea with Perth NRM and other local environment groups to formally announce the second-stage $1.1 million we gave to support this vital project in my electorate.

As you can see, this bill is of utmost importance for the help and support we're able to provide to our electorates, and I commend the bill to the House.