David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Would the Deputy Prime Minister please update the House on the Liberal-National government's continued commitment to delivering for local communities through the Building Better Regions Fund?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lyne for this question. The key word in his question was 'local'. All politics is local, as it should be. And we have been addressing local issues and providing resources and infrastructure, as local solutions for local people at a local level, since coming to government in 2013. The member for Lyne knows the importance of being local and being true to your local constituents—and he certainly is that.

Our local communities are the heart and soul of this great nation. The Liberals and the Nationals are committed to building stronger local communities—in particular, regional communities right across the nation. That's why, in government, we established the Building Better Regions Fund. It is an $841.6 million investment, an $841.6 million program, creating jobs, driving economic growth and building the infrastructure that Australians, particularly in local communities such as the member for Lyne represents, need, want, deserve, expect and demand—projects such as the Kew Main Street upgrade on the Mid North Coast in the member for Lyne's electorate. We're investing $800,000 to beautify the Main Street, the CBD there in Kew, making it a more attractive place to visit. If you make these places better places to visit, people will come, particularly in times of drought. We are also adding more car parking spaces for locals to go about their daily business. Peter Newman, from the Kew Business Group—I know that the member for Lyne knows him well—said this funding is 'a great outcome'. He said: 'Kew is a small village but everyone has a positive outlook and this funding will make a significant difference.' Peter Newman knows it, the member for Lyne knows it and everyone on this side of the House knows it.

I am pleased to announce that round 4 of the Building Better Regions Fund will open this year. I invite all regional members from all sides of parliament to take part in that. I am sure that applications will come in thick and fast.

There is another person who understands the importance of 'local'. Those opposite should know him—it's former New South Wales Labor Premier Morris Iemma, who headed that great state from 2005 to 2008. I've got a bit of time for Morris Iemma. After the election he was talking about the sitting Liberal MP David Coleman, and Chris Gambian, the Labor candidate, accused David Coleman of being the 'minister for roundabouts'. I would take that as a compliment if I were the member for Banks! Morris Iemma said:

While the Gambian Army of keyboard warriors from … Newtown and Marrickville sat around quaffing their Columbian bean piccolos, Coleman was out building from the grassroots …

While our transients guffawed at Coleman for attending to local traffic problems and getting them fixed with roundabouts, the locals were expressing their appreciation with a massive increase in vote.

That is what you get when you look after the local regions. There are 537 councils across Australia getting a 25 per cent increase in Roads to Recovery funding. Local decisions made at a local level— (Time expired)