Damian Drum (Nicholls, 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: Will the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House how the Morrison-McCormack government is focusing on the delivery of infrastructure around Australia, particularly in my electorate of Nicholls, helping to create jobs and to drive the economy and recovery as soon as we get out the other side of the COVID-19 recession?

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

I thank the member for his question. He is an unwavering advocate for the communities of Nicholls and for regional Victoria. We've just heard some fine and passionate words from the Treasurer. Indeed, Melburnians have done it tough. So have regional Victorians. They have done it very tough, and I commend the regional members for their advocacy for their communities and I thank those people who live in regional Victoria for what they've done to help us through this dire situation.

The member for Nicholls understands how important investment in regional infrastructure is for productivity, for jobs. Throughout the pandemic our delivery of infrastructure projects has surged ahead, particularly in regional areas. With more than 200 major projects currently across the nation, this is a game changer. The federal government is doing its part to assist in our recovery from COVID-19, and it's up to the states and the territories to take the opportunity we have presented. With only three locally acquired cases reported across the country in the past 48 hours, it is time for the states and territories to safely re-open their borders, to re-open those businesses, to re-open those communities, and to re-open their economies and get back on track.

Through our $110 billion, decade-long pipeline of infrastructure, we have transformational projects large and small in every jurisdiction, including $39 billion of investment we have committed in New South Wales, $28½ billion in Queensland. $2.7 billion in the Northern Territory, $975 million in the ACT, $9.8 billion in SA, $15.4 billion in WA and $3.2 billion in Tasmania. Victoria is no exception, with our total infrastructure funding reaching more than $31½ billion across the state.

In the member's electorate of Nicholls, our infrastructure investment includes the Shepparton bypass. I know how hard he fought to achieve that commitment. It includes the Echuca-Moama Bridge. Again, he fought hard for that. It includes the Shepparton Art Museum. I was there on a couple of occasions not only to make that commitment but also to expand upon it and the Shepparton alternative freight route. Importantly, there is also $320 million for the Shepparton rail line upgrade stage 3. Nine hundred and ninety direct and indirect jobs are expected to be supported by this important project—a project about which Sam Birrell, CEO of the Committee for Greater Shepparton said: 'Stage 3 of Shepparton rail line upgrade funding is a fantastic outcome for the Greater Shepparton region. It will enable us to move from five to potentially nine daily services in faster, more comfortable VLocity trains to and from Melbourne. During peak periods, that could be a train on the hour. It brings us a rail service which is, in per capita terms, equal with Bendigo and Ballarat.' That's delivery. That's commitment. That's getting on with the job. And those are the important things that the member for Nicholls does. (Time expired)