Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate sod-turning of two great local projects being delivered in our community by this government. First of all is the Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct stage 2. It was my great pleasure last week to join the now mayor of the Macedon Ranges Shire, Kate Kendall—I congratulate her on her appointment—to turn the sod on stage 2 of the Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct. Stage 1 already delivered over $29 million worth of much needed recreational amenities to the Macedon Ranges and the regional area. It includes a three-court sports stadium, a natural-grass AFL and cricket oval, a multifunction pavilion and a variety of associated indoor and outdoor amenities. Stage 2 is set to expand on these facilities significantly.

The Albanese Labor government committed and has delivered $15 million of the $17 million for the stage 2 project.

Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pork-barrelling

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Pork-barrelling'—that's a great one! The project will nearly double the current sports stadium capacity, adding three more courts.

The expansion also includes an additional AFL and cricket oval, two outdoor sports courts and improvements to carparking and landscaping, ensuring the precinct remains a world-class venue for sports and community activities. It is great news for our community. Stage 2 will ensure that we can accommodate more sporting participants and better recreational facilities for our growing community and enhance the Macedon Ranges as a regional community hub.

We fought long and hard for this to get done. A generation of our kids missed out on sporting facilities because the former government for 10 years absolutely refused to fund this. In fact, not only did they go to three elections not doing it but the member for colour-coded sports sheets, Senator McKenzie, told the community, 'Put in an application,' and it never happened. They couldn't even find the decency to help this generation of kids in this region. But under an Albanese Labor government, it's promise made, promise kept.

Another great example—

An opposition member interjecting

Well, maybe we'll look forward to you actually getting one right one day, but we won't hold our breath. We've also started work on stage 2 of the Yan Yean Road upgrade. This has been a much-needed project that has meant growing communities have suffered by not having access to the infrastructure they need. We know those opposite proudly talk about how they only gave Victoria seven per cent of infrastructure funding throughout their nine years which meant our roads crumbled and things weren't done. But, of course, when we got into government, we addressed that. We have helped fix that problem by giving stage 2 the funding that was necessary to get it done. This is a government that actually goes out and gets things done, and it's another part of our story where we can say that a promise made is a promise kept. The only way you get infrastructure into regional areas is to not vote LNP.