Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion put forward by the member for Boothby. The member for Boothby's motion congratulates the Morrison-McCormack government on its 2019 budget announcement of $100 billion of infrastructure investment—the so-called infrastructure pipeline. One hundred billion dollars is a lot of money—I am starting to sound like a scene from an Austin Powers movie. It would buy a lot of infrastructure—I would give the member that—but promising to build infrastructure is not the same as actually building it. The Liberal and National parties have a dismal record of actually building infrastructure. They are good talkers, bad builders. They have spent $5.1 billion less on infrastructure than they promised over their first six years. Calls from the RBA governor, economists and the state coalition treasurers to bring forward infrastructure investments have fallen on deaf ears. The Treasurer has a tin ear when it comes to bringing forward infrastructure investment. These are not left wingers that are calling for this. The Liberal-National governments have abolished the $3.9 billion Building Australia Fund set aside to fund critical nation-building infrastructure. They talk up their $100 billion infrastructure pipeline, like an Austin Powers character, but unless they actually build something, it is just a pipe dream.

My constituents in Moreton know only too well what it is like to endlessly wait for urgently needed infrastructure. In question time last week I asked the Deputy Prime Minister when work would begin on eliminating the Boundary Road level crossing at Coopers Plains in my electorate—a piece of infrastructure that has been needed for 50 years. The Deputy Prime Minister couldn't answer my question. He answered many other questions that I didn't ask, like how many workers will receive a tax cut; what infrastructure is promised in other parts of Brisbane; and what infrastructure was completed in my electorate seven years ago. That was the Mains Road and Kessels Road intersection upgrade. That was funded by Labor and built by Labor and I even got to cut the ribbon on that one. But the Deputy Prime Minister couldn't answer the questions that my constituents actually wanted answered: 'When will work begin on eliminating the dangerous level crossing at Boundary Road in Coopers Plains?'

The Liberal-National government announced in April that it would fix this level crossing as part of its $226.25 million dollar congestion-busting infrastructure fund. The Coopers Plains crossing is one of—wait for it—13 other projects promised to be built from this one fund. When it was announced, no funding amounts were attributed to any of the 13 projects individually. Federal Labor committed $73 million to upgrade the Coopers Plains crossing prior to the election. In response to a media inquiry last Friday, the Deputy Prime Minister's office confirmed that $73 million of the congestion-busting fund would go towards upgrading the Coopers Plains crossing. Thank you, Deputy Prime Minister, that's great news. Finally there is some federal funding earmarked for the project from the LNP, albeit one-third of the whole fund. How we will build the other 12 projects remains to be seen. That leaves $153 million to be spread 12 ways. Good luck with that for the other electorates in South East Queensland.

During the election I called for the Coopers Plains crossing upgrade to be funded by a three-way split between the federal government, state government and Brisbane City Council. This was very fair: one-third, one-third and a third. However, to date the Liberal National Party Brisbane City Council has flatly refused to fund more than 15 per cent, notwithstanding that the LNP council funded 50 per cent of the crossing upgrades on the north side—one in Geebung and another one 50 per cent funded in Bracken Ridge. There's a different set of rules for the north side of the river compared to the south. Perhaps the Deputy Prime Minister can have a word with his Queensland LNP colleagues. Maybe the Liberal National Party appointed lord mayor—not elected by the people—could find an extra 18 per cent to fund his third.

My concern is this: how long do my residents, my constituents, have to wait for work to start on this very dangerous crossing? Commuters run the gauntlet of the rail boom gates every day. Even the most careful of drivers can get caught out. I can think of nothing more terrifying than being stuck between the boom gates with a train roaring down the Beenleigh line towards me, yet that is what drivers risk on a daily basis.

The Cross River Rail project has already commenced, and that will mean more trains travelling through the Boundary Road crossing to the Gold Coast. Many locals have indicated their frustration at the Deputy Prime Minister's sidestepping of my question last week. One local, who tragically lost a family member at this dangerous crossing, communicated to me that he was insulted that the Deputy Prime Minister was not taking the issue seriously. During his meandering answer the Deputy Prime Minister offered to visit Coopers Plains rail crossing, and I will take him up on that offer.

Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is a little misguided. I particularly liked the bit where he blamed Cross River Rail for creating more train congestion and then tried to duck shove the solution onto the Brisbane City Council, when it is his own Labor Deputy Premier in Queensland who could put some money into it. Yes, previously, the Brisbane City Council has stepped up to the mark to provide funding to remove open level crossings, but this is historically a state responsibility, but again he lets the state government off the hook. This is the problem. This is why the Queensland state government's level of infrastructure investment is below the historical average. Federal Labor members come in here and try to duck the responsibility of this kind of infrastructure, which is state infrastructure, onto Brisbane City Council, which is already funding a record $3 billion every year in new infrastructure. I would like to congratulate the Morrison government on $100 billion of investment, as outlined in this motion for infrastructure.

We know that new infrastructure an upgraded infrastructure is not an end in itself. It's about creating connected communities and about getting families home sooner and safer. This federal investment, as I was just saying, is so important, particularly when state governments aren't pulling their weight. The Queensland state government, particularly the Treasurer and Deputy Premier, Jackie Trad, are not pulling their weight when it comes to investing in infrastructure. Their failure to make decisions is crippling, and their lack of investment is absolutely neglectful. Take, for example, the Brisbane metro project. This is something that could significantly improve our public transport in the Brisbane metro and urban area. The federal Morrison government has put $300 million towards it as part of that $100 billion investment outlined in this motion, and yet the Brisbane City Council, who is undertaking the project and funding the rest of the project, had more than 270 meetings with the Labor state government in Queensland, and still the Queensland state government is no closer to approving this project. They don't have to put in any money; it's fully funded by the Morrison government and the LNP council, and yet the state government cannot make a decision to get out of the way and let money be spent on improving public transport in the Brisbane metro area.

Centenary Motorway is another one—a classic example of a state piece of infrastructure that they have allowed through chronic underinvestment to get to the stage where it is costing people time with their families and a lot of money in congestion. We have seen it go on Infrastructure Australia's priority projects for the very first time. I'm delighted that, as part of the Morrison government's $100 billion investment, $10 million will go into funding a business case so that we can start to understand the major project that would be required to upgrade the Centenary Motorway, which will be important for my electorate of Ryan. But, again, this is something where the Queensland state Labor government needs to step up to the plate.

I spoke about Moggill Road, through the heart of the Ryan electorate, during my maiden speech. Again, millions of dollars are lost in delay costs on every kilometre of that corridor every year. As part of the $100 billion investment, but, more importantly, the $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund, we've seen a $25 million commitment to the Indooroopilly roundabout, which goes towards the project, in conjunction with the Brisbane City Council's support. They're undertaking the project. And $12.5 million has been invested as well in the Kenmore roundabout by the federal government. Unfortunately, here we see the compare and contrast between the LNP-led Brisbane City Council, who is getting on with the job of supporting the federal government funding and getting the project done, and the funding we provided for the Kenmore roundabout, where we're yet to see any action from Minister Bailey or the Queensland state government. I won't hold my breath. I hope to work with him collaboratively, but so far his record hasn't been good on getting projects out of the too-hard basket and getting the funding to get on with them.

There is $11 million as well in the Urban Congestion Fund for the Ferny Grove car park upgrade. This will allow us to achieve more park-and-ride car parks in Ferny Grove. The success of this $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund will see us in good stead in the future.

Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Financial Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberal-National Party's approach to infrastructure development is perfectly represented by one project in Sydney. That is the Sydney south-east light rail project. The Berejiklian Liberal government said this project would cost $1.6 billion. It's actually going to cost the New South Wales taxpayers $2.7 billion due to a $576 million settlement with the contractor because the government provided dodgy advice on the first hand. The project is more than a year overdue. So we've got over a billion dollar blow out in the cost of the project and it's more than a year overdue. That is representative of the Liberal-National coalition's approach to infrastructure development.

You can't trust the Liberals when it comes to developing nation-building infrastructure. While they're busy congratulating themselves on making announcements, many of their projects at a federal level remain years away. The coalition's so-called $100 billion infrastructure pipeline is nothing more than a pipe dream. Of course, less than 30 per cent of the infrastructure program is budgeted for the next four years. For many of the projects, the shovels are far from ready, and it follows a poor record of spending—$5.1 billion less on infrastructure than promised over its first six years in government, and that included $100 million worth of projects in its Black Spot Program, $154 million for the Bridges Renewal Program and more than $900 million in its Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan. Funding has been provided for all these projects, but milestones haven't been met. In many cases, projects haven't even started, and yet the coalition talked such a big game in the recent federal election on infrastructure. But the Australian people are now rightly concerned by this government's refusal to bring forward some of those infrastructure projects to boost what is a floundering economy and protect and create jobs in Australia.

The government continues to ignore calls from the Reserve Bank of Australia, economists and state coalition Treasurers to bring forward infrastructure investment. The government needs to look at fiscal stimulus in the economy, and infrastructure is an important part of doing that. The benefits are clear: stimulating a sluggish economy, boosting productivity, improving road safety and busting congestion. Not only has the government ignored these calls; it consistently fails to deliver funding that is allocated in its budgets. And while the rest of the nation remains hard at work, the government is calling in a sickie and putting the real nation-building projects off for another day.

Instead, it's only action on infrastructure in this term has been abolishing the $3.9 billion Building Australia Fund set aside to fund critical nation-building infrastructure, not to mention the fact that this government is undermining the role of Infrastructure Australia, the body that was set up to take the politics out of infrastructure development in Australia and stop the process of one side of politics promising something and then the other side getting elected and cancelling it, and then the other side promising something and then the other side getting elected and cancelling it. Australians are sick and tired of it. It's costing our nation billions of dollars and foregone productivity improvements through this process. That's why Labor established Infrastructure Australia, to take the politics out of it to ensure that independent experts were assessing and ranking infrastructure projects in Australia. Well this government, by moves such as abolishing the Building Australia Fund, is undermining that independence and putting at jeopardy proper infrastructure development in our economy.

Cuts to public transport investment have resulted in worsening traffic congestion. That's eroded Australians' quality of life and reduced productivity by restricting the movement of freight around our cities and towns. Our nation is crying out for a comprehensive infrastructure plan. We need it now, not in the forward estimates years. We need to tackle urban congestion, boost the productivity of our freight and logistics sector, save lives on our roads, unlock the full potential of our regions and drive economic growth in the years ahead. And the government should stop congratulating itself for just making announcements. We need shovels in the ground, projects started and jobs for Australians. It should be working with the states to find out why so many projects for which money is available simply aren't being built. Australia needs action now to help create economic activity and jobs in the short-term while boosting productivity over the longer term.

Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for bringing this important motion forward. I must say it gives me an opportunity to talk about some of the great progress we're making on works in the electorate of Grey. In the last few weeks we've seen some of the unprecedented infrastructure investment in the electorate of Grey get underway. Tenders have been called for the duplication of the Joy Baluch AM Bridge—and it always seems, Deputy Speaker Hogan, that you are in the seat when I talk about Port Augusta, and so you are tonight!—and there is the Port Wakefield flyover and the lane duplication project there.

For years in South Australia we wondered what it would be like to have governments in both Adelaide and Canberra that understood the true value of the economic power that lies beyond our city borders. The advent of aligned Liberal governments is delivering a huge dividend for South Australia, and it is an overdue reward for the thousands of people who live beyond our city's boundaries, working, caring for our country and providing the all-important export income for our nation.

People are beginning to see projects roll out. Just recently we've seen the completion of the new Rocky River Bridge on National Highway near Crystal Brook. For years, motorists have breathed in each time they've met another car and trucks have had their mirrors touch as they pass. Fortunately, their journey will now be much safer. Under the same grant process we've installed extra passing lanes south of Port Augusta and between Port Augusta and Whyalla. People in the Clare Valley and northern regions are eagerly awaiting the delivery of the federal government's election commitment of $44 million to upgrade the very poor Horrocks Highway. The state government has committed an extra $11 million. Likewise, users of the Barrier Highway linking Adelaide to Broken Hill will have a safer road after a commitment of $50 million from the federal government, which I expect to be matched in the same ratio by the state. Eyre Peninsula roads will also benefit from a combined $32 million commitment from both governments for road works to help deal with the closure of the 100-year-old narrow gauge railway line. More is committed to the Eyre Highway as well as $64 million to begin the installation of dual lanes on the Augusta Highway north of Port Wakefield. Overall, the federal government is providing very nearly $500 million in Grey for major road works, and that is expected to be boosted to about $600 million by the state contribution. I thank state minister Stephan Knoll for working so closely with me on these projects.

Sometimes, federal contributions to councils get low notice, but the bulk of local road funding comes from federal governments. We've increased the Roads to Recovery Program by 25 per cent and extended the SA specific Supplementary Local Road Funding program, which the member for Barker and I fought hard to retain. This is a real equity issue, and they're very important funds for our local country councils. In May I had the pleasure of opening the Kyancutta to Mount Wedge section of bitumen, linking Wudinna to Elliston by sealed road. Others in the past have included the Balumbah Kinnaird Road and the Maitland to Clinton Centre roads, all paid for under the Roads to Recovery Program, and they are good examples of the use of these funds being big steps forward in the regions.

In Grey alone, the Building Better Regions Fund program has delivered more than $35 million for community projects over the last five years. A further $20 million has been allocated to new expanding industries in the Upper Spencer Gulf in the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages and millions more on roads through the Black Spot Program. Remote air strips in Yorketown, from Yorketown to Marree, have had serious attention as well as the most recent commitment being a million dollars to seal the Peterborough airstrip.

The federal government has also made a commitment of $10 million to match the state government's $10 million, with $5 million to come from growers, to replace 1,600 kilometre of the 2,200 kilometre 100-year-old dog fence in South Australia. This will be an investment that will pay dividends for the next 80 to 100 years, just as the last investment has. That fence is leaking dogs terribly at the moment. I was up at Marree only a few weeks ago and I spoke to a grower up there who lives on the inside of the fence. He expects to run sheep but has lost 1,700 sheep to dog attacks in the last 12 months. So it's a very serious problem and the time has come: the fence is worn out and needs replacing, and we are delivering on that program.

This list is far from exhaustive but it's a clear demonstration that we, as governments, believe in our regions. The Liberal governments in both Adelaide and Canberra are such strong assets to the rural and regional people in South Australia.

Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion by the member for Boothby, which I'm advised congratulates the government on their commitment to building infrastructure as part of the 2019 budget. While I was at the Sandgate swim club diving trophy night on the night of the 2019 budget, I am surprised to hear that we are due to congratulate the government on their infrastructure investment because, as far as Lilley went, there were spinifex rolling across the desert with respect to new announcements and new funding for our part of the world.

I can tell you that, as the Labor candidate for Lilley at the time, one of my top priorities during the election was fighting for infrastructure upgrades on Brisbane's booming north side, where we have many working families moving in, young families trying to set up their lives and raise their kids, and see that the support and infrastructure that they need to do that is there, or at least planned to be there. At the moment, neither of those things are the case from this third-term LNP government. The 2019 budget was a major disappointment on that front.

Let me articulate again now, in case it wasn't clear at the time, what northsiders are telling us about what they need from their federal government. They want to spend more time at home with their families and less time stuck in commuter traffic. I'm proud to say that federal Labor is well aware of this. We listened and we tried to act during the campaign. We supported a number of projects that would reduce traffic congestion on the north side. You can divide these up amongst public transport and road projects. With respect to public transport, we announced that we would fund two park and ride upgrades, firstly the one at Northgate, which was first promised by a government in 1993. These people have been waiting a very long time between drinks—of cordial, obviously—for their park and ride upgrade. I took the present Leader of the Opposition, the member for Grayndler, along to show him the issue at the Northgate park and ride. It is simply that there are something like 350 car parks—off the top of my head—but something like 750 commuters that come every day to use that park and ride, from as far as way as Redcliffe on the peninsula in the member for Petrie's electorate. We promised that we would fund $7 million towards a multi-storey car park to alleviate this problem. Unfortunately, that commitment was not matched by the LNP government.

The second park and ride we committed to was Geebung park and ride. This is another booming, gentrified part of the world—they do very good coffee at Fox Coffee there, if I may put in a quick plug. We put $4 million into upgrading the park and ride at Geebung, though I must advise that there is no polo club to speak of. Something I will be working on as a priority, as the new member for Lilley, is getting a Geebung polo club up and running! However, despite there being much last-minute discussion around park and ride upgrades for other parts of the world, there is no such luck for the people of Lilley from this third-term LNP government. With respect to the vital infrastructure projects, particularly with respect to park and ride upgrades, let's see the plan. What's coming down the line?

As I was coming in, I heard the dulcet tones of the member of Ryan discussing the Cross River Rail project. I can understand why he would be sensitive on that issue, because it is something Brisbane City Council has failed to fund, budget after budget after budget, despite both state and federal Labor committing billions of dollars—I think off the top of my head something like $5.3 billion—to get it up and running. For people who don't understand Brisbane—I don't know why you wouldn't take more of an interest in the best place in the world—but for people that don't understand infrastructure in Brisbane, let me say that Cross River Rail is vital. At the moment, we have one crossing for rail from north to south. Until we get a second, through developing and delivering Cross River Rail, it is a choke point, which means that we cannot put more services along the lines for commuters during peak times. At the moment services are straining under the load. Until we add a second crossing it isn't going to get better. It's a big project, it's an expensive project, but it's a vital project. That's why we believe in it. When we do it, someone who lives in Deagon or Sandgate or Shorncliffe will experience a train coming along every six minutes on the Shorncliffe line. That is revolutionary stuff. To be able to access a train every six minutes during peak commuter times on the Shorncliffe line would make such a big difference to the people who are commuting in and out of town. That is why we support it and why I continue to beseech the government to support us in coming on board with Cross River Rail.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:04