House debates

Tuesday, 16 June 2020

Questions without Notice

JobMaker

2:09 pm

Photo of David GillespieDavid Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House how the Morrison-McCormack government's JobMaker plan is creating jobs, building infrastructure and boosting the economy as part of our recovery from COVID-19, including in my electorate of Lyne?

2:10 pm

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

I want to thank the hardworking member for Lyne for his question. He would know Rod Williams, the deputy chair of Advance Gloucester. I've been speaking with the member for Lyne about Advance Gloucester and about the Bucketts Way project. I know the member for Lyne has long advocated for an upgrade to Bucketts Way. Rod Williams had this to say about the project:

We're over the moon … There are no losers in this. It'll springboard Gloucester's opportunities, supporting tourism and industry in the region.

Tourism and industry, I know, are two sectors that the member for Lyne has long championed. He is somebody who understands small business, he understands regional development and he certainly understands the importance of Bucketts Way. It's about 150 kilometres, a rural road, connecting Gloucester to Taree and Raymond Terrace. Gloucester, established in the 1850s, has a population of around 2,400. It's an important dairy and beef community. The $25 million federal upgrade to this particular stretch of road under Roads of Strategic Importance, under the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program is going to change the lives of those people in Gloucester, and the member for Lyne knows that. He understands that this is going to provide 240 jobs through construction—240 jobs! He understands that the construction, which is due to come in coming months, is going to make such a difference for his local area. He adheres and he agrees with Mr Williams and his summary of that project.

He also understands that through the COVID-19 pandemic we have the relief and recovery measures in place—the plan, the blueprint, the vision for the future—which are going to help regional communities such as the electorate of Lyne through these difficult times. They are trying times, and they're certainly trying times for those regional communities such as Gloucester. He also understands that councils such as Dungog, Maitland City, MidCoast, Port Stephens and Port Macquarie-Hastings are also going to benefit from the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program that we have established, that we have put in place. We have doubled the Roads to Recovery funding for those councils I mentioned—$7.44 million in addition to $23.09 million under the Financial Assistance Grants brought forward. This is going to make such a difference for those regional communities. It's going to enable them to build the roads. It's going to enable them to protect the jobs and the livelihoods of so many in the electorate of Lyne, the electorate which the member so fiercely and proudly represents—has done for some time and will do for some years to come.