Ben Small (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just last week the Prime Minister of Australia visited Forrest. I welcome him to come to Forrest as often as he'd like with a visit like that, because he really disappointed the people of my electorate with what he didn't do while he was in our community. He didn't address the issues that matter most to the people of the south-west. He didn't talk about housing pressures, rising costs or the challenges facing our families, businesses and community groups. The people of Forrest deserved much more than a fly-in photo opportunity of him on his private jet at the underfunded and underdeveloped Busselton airport. They deserved answers from the country's Prime Minister, and they didn't get them, so tonight, in this House, I want to put on record the issues that matter to the people of Forrest, because my community deserves to be heard in this parliament when it is ignored by the country's Prime Minister.

Housing remains one of the biggest pressures in our region. According to REIWA, median house prices in Western Australia have increased by some 67 per cent since 2001 and median rents are not far behind, with an increase of 57 per cent. Families, young people, key workers and even retirees in Forrest are all feeling the pressure from these sorts of price hikes. That's why I've consistently called for action on both demand and supply. This is a market that experiences both. It means controlling migration levels to better manage housing demand and it means unlocking additional supply by cutting red tape, clearing delays and removing the barriers that are blocking builders and councils from getting new homes to market.

If the Albanese government refuses to act, this crisis will only continue. More Australians will be priced out, rents will climb and the dream of home ownership will slip further from the grasp of another generation of Australians. I'm fighting for practical solutions, faster approvals, more homes and genuine affordability. Importantly, I'm fighting for practical immigration reforms that support our regional workforce without crippling our housing market, because migration should strengthen our community, not overwhelm it.

The 2025 cuts to travel allowances and service rates for NDIS providers in communities like my community in regional Australia are a betrayal of those in regional Australia, including our most vulnerable. A one-size-fits-all policy may work in the inner-city suburbs and in places such as here in Canberra, but it doesn't work in the south-west of Western Australia. In Forrest, where services are already limited relative to metropolitan areas, these cuts have led to appointments being cancelled and providers closing their doors to our community's most vulnerable altogether. In some sort of sick postcode lottery, families are being punished simply because of where they live. It's unacceptable, and I stand with the families in my community and the NDIS providers who have been so badly let down by the decisions of this government. In the interests of fairness and accessibility to a safety net that every Australian deserves, I ask the government to reconsider the changes that it stands by.

The Margaret River Hospital, just south of where the Prime Minister landed his plane, is outdated and increasingly unable to meet the needs of a growing, ageing population, not having been upgraded since 2001. The health minister is pretty quick to come into this chamber and crow about what he's done for the good people of Forrest, but the reality on the ground is a sad story indeed. Residents shouldn't have to travel three or four hours to Perth for services that should be available locally—a fact totally lost on the WA Premier, Roger Cook—so a major upgrade to the Margaret River Hospital is essential. I'm committed to advocating for a modern, expanded hospital that delivers the high-quality care in the community that my region deserves.

Apprentices, like everyone else in our community, are already facing lower wages and rising living costs. Cutting their travel and accommodation allowances makes it even harder for young people at the start of their careers to complete their training, especially in a regional electorate like Forrest, where long travel to the city is simply unavoidable. These cuts punish the very people that we need most: young Australians who are learning a trade, rolling up their sleeves and helping to fill our national skills shortage. I'll continue fighting to ensure that our apprentices and trainees get the support that they need.

Finally, one of my key priorities is advocating for a new terminal at the Busselton Margaret River Airport, the same airport the Prime Minister is very fond of landing his private jet at. He had the perfect opportunity during his visit to acknowledge the enormous pressure on the facility from our FIFO workforce, our tourism and trade opportunities and the freight for our region. Instead, he said nothing.