Andrew Gee (Calare, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Our communities are being throttled by the twin crises of the fuel supply emergency and the indefinite closure of the Great Western Highway caused by the failure of a bridge built by a convict chain gang in 1832. Firstly, will you now support my Fair Fuel Price Bill, which would bring in federal government fuel-price controls and stop the rip-offs? Secondly, will your government slash the fuel excise tax? Thirdly, will you and the New South Wales government deliver a support package for our local businesses being smashed up by this highway closure?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Calare for his question and thank him as well for the courtesy of raising it with me in a meeting that we held earlier this morning. I'm always happy to meet with members of parliament, regardless of where they sit, particularly about issues relating to their local electorates. The member for Calare is of course concerned about the impact that the closure of the Great Western Highway has on his electorate, because that's essentially the entry from Sydney and the Blue Mountains through to the greater west, including Lithgow and Bathurst and Orange, and all of those people are dependent upon this road. Specialist engineers have advised that the road is not safe, and it obviously can't reopen until it is safe. The member also has advised that some of the alternative routes—that there are safety issues with regard to them. I'll be raising that with the New South Wales minister as well, to make sure that those issues are dealt with.

It's a serious situation. It's not a quick or a simple repair. Significant cracking and movement had been detected in the substructure. As the member has said, it's 194 years old, Mitchell's Causeway, also known as the convict bridge because, literally, that was when it was built. The truth is that all governments, state and federal, probably should have done something about this, quite clearly, before. The fact that it has had such an impact is indeed of real concern.

On 19 March, the New South Wales government announced the establishment of the Great Western Highway Community Coordination Taskforce. This is designed to streamline support to those impacted by the prolonged closure of the Great Western Highway. The member has raised the issue of businesses in that area. That will go through that particular taskforce as well. I'll speak with the New South Wales government about these issues. The New South Wales government has announced $50 million for the detour routes, and my office is in ongoing contact with Minister Aitchison's office and will continue to engage. I understand that your office has been offered a briefing by Minister Aitchison's office on the situation. If that is not the case, certainly I'll undertake to personally take that up with Jenny. She's an effective minister, and I'm sure she will be concerned about the impact that is there.