Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just wanted to talk a little bit about Deception Bay, one of the suburbs in my electorate. It is a great suburb. Recently the Morrison government announced a new grant for them, which has come through and which has been successful, for the Deception Bay Little Athletics. It's a $1.65 million grant to build a Little Athletics track at the club in Deception Bay. That includes GST. That came through from the Community Development Grants Programme. This will be the first tartan running track that's been built, as far as public tracks go, pretty well since the Commonwealth Games that were held in 1982. There have been other tracks, like Nudgee College down at Boondall and other private tracks, but there hasn't really been a community track. The Morrison government is pumping $1.65 million into that.

I want to particularly thank David Armitage, who is the club the president. He and his team have helped drive this project. I also want to thank Adam White, the former president, who has been very influential in putting this together. I also want to acknowledge the state government and the member for Bancroft, who have put $1 million into this project—or will put it in at some stage—and the mayor and the council, who are putting $700,000 towards a new upgraded car park and lighting and will help make sure that council planning goes through quickly so we can get the track started this financial year. It really will be great for Deception Bay residents and families that will benefit. This is just another example of delivering on commitments for Deception Bay.

There have been other projects that we have put into Deception Bay as well. The Morrison government's putting in 80 per cent of the funding for the Deception Bay overpass and Deception Bay Road, which is currently under construction. The state government has also put 20 per cent into that project. For Deception Bay residents, that new overpass will look very similar to the upgrade we did at the Boundary Road overpass, just a little south on the highway. We've also put nearly half a million dollars into the Deception Bay Police Citizens Youth Club to upgrade their gym and to air condition it, and make sure that the Police Citizens Youth Club have an income-producing asset to help them. We've put new war memorials down on the waterfront, opposite Mermaids By the Bay cafe. We've upgraded the Deception Bay Soccer Club and put solar panels on their roof. Kim Dean and her husband do a great job down at that club. We have also put funding into the Deception Bay Gem Club, to help them with new cutting machines and so forth for their stones. There's also an environment wildlife crossing that's about to go into Deception Bay and there will be an upgrade to the Deception Bay Community Hall, which will be a joint project with the Morrison government and the Moreton Bay Regional Council. We will continue to invest in Deception Bay. It's a great suburb, and I'm really pleased for that community.