Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was at Peak Hill on 15 January 2018, when the first lot of Australian steel from Whyalla was dropped off to begin the momentous Inland Rail project. The first leg, from Parkes to Narromine, is completed. That benefited more than 100 small businesses tapping into $110 million of procurement. Inland Rail continues to create jobs and spark local economies, with concrete sleepers for the nation-building infrastructure project being made in Wagga Wagga, my hometown.

As Deputy Prime Minister a month after the Inland Rail project started, I was pleased to start the process by getting the intergovernmental agreements with the states signed up—firstly with Jacinta Allan in Victoria, then with John Barilaro in New South Wales and finally with Mark Bailey in your home state of Queensland, Mr Speaker. But last Friday was a red-letter day for Wagga Wagga and indeed the project when the Australian Rail Track Corporation signing contracts worth $143 million with Austrak was announced and declared. I was able to go out and have a look at the factory at Bomen, nearby the special activation precinct at the Riverina intermodal and freight logistics hub—very much Inland Rail central. This is supporting 36 jobs that would otherwise not be continuing at that Austrak Wagga Wagga facility, as well as 14 jobs for Austrak's Rockhampton plant.

The 1.3 million sleepers, almost a million of which will be made in my hometown, under the new contract will be used to upgrade existing track and complete new sections of rail from Albury through to the Inland Rail end point in Queensland. I visited the facility on Friday and there I met production supervisor Lara Foster, a very impressive supervisor and person who is making sure the staff are doing what they need to do. She's originally from Griffith. She worked with the goldmining operations at Lake Cowal near West Wyalong. She is part and parcel of that vital component getting the job done at Wagga Wagga. Austrak managing director Murray Adams was there, as well as ARTC Inland Rail manager for stakeholder engagement New South Wales (South) Heath Martin. We made this significant announcement.

I commend Austrak on its continuing role in Inland Rail. It is creating many jobs—not just the 36 at the concrete plant, but many others in small businesses tapping into this process. It's proof-positive that this 1,700-kilometre corridor of commerce is generating so much excitement in regional Australia—and for good reason. The cement comes from Berrima, the fly-ash comes from Mount Piper, the wire steel for the 280-kilogram sleepers comes from Newcastle and, as I mentioned before, the steel for the actual rail comes from Whyalla. But there are so many businesses tapping into this whole process. Lara Foster said she's been working at the facility for the past five years, and she was pretty energised by this announcement. She said this contract is one of the largest she has seen, and she's excited it will keep 36 families in jobs in Wagga Wagga.

The federal government has already invested up to $14.5 million in Inland Rail. It is making such a difference. The1.3 million sleepers will include 695,000 standard gauge sleepers for projects in New South Wales and 615,000 dual gauge sleepers for projects in Queensland. And the scope of supply includes the design, manufacture, testing, storage and loading of the sleepers. As we spoke at a press conference, there were 65,000 sleepers stacked up behind us for that presser. It was an impressive sight. It goes to show what can be done when governments invest in the regions. It goes to show what can be done when governments such as ours invest in nation-building infrastructure—and right across this country we're doing just that. The $110 billion of infrastructure is supporting 100,000 workers.

Inland Rail is more than just building a rail line; it's investing in our regions and completing the national freight rail network. Parkes in my electorate is on the east-west-north-south intersector. That's making massive advances too, with small business and just with the community involvement. When I talk about community, it's not just about moving freight on rail. It's about getting trucks off the roads. It's about people. It's about investment. It's about the future.