Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am indebted to you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The Nationals have had the gall to block the very legislation in this area that their own leader put up last year. Truckies all around Australia missed an opportunity to gain access to better roads and safer technology thanks to the political posturing by the coalition in May. If the Nationals paid attention to the needs of Australian truckies and the needs of the people, perhaps they would have more than just eight MPs in this chamber.

As our economy heads into more difficult times, it is important for all elected representatives to look to the national interest. And yet all we have seen from the coalition is the blocking of measures like this one in the Senate. It appears that the coalition have forgotten that it was their hubris when they had control of the Senate that led to the terrible Work Choices laws being introduced. It seems that they still have not learnt their lesson. We have had an indication that, in addition to the blocking that took place in May of the measures in this bill, we still have the blocking of reforms with regard to alcopops, the Medicare levy surcharge, the Commonwealth seniors health card, the excise on condensate and now the luxury car levy. It seems the coalition simply do not understand that these measures will provide the revenue to bring quality programs to Australians, programs like the Roads to Recovery program.

The second part of this bill is to extend the Roads to Recovery program. It is a program that has delivered $1.2 billion to be distributed among local councils and $30 million to unincorporated areas to make urgent repairs and upgrades to roads. In my electorate of Isaacs, the program has delivered approximately $2 million each to the Frankston, Greater Dandenong and Kingston councils from 2005-06 through to 2008-09. It is money which is designed to supplement and not substitute council road funding, and it has been used for the upgrade of a range of local roads, including the widening of Abbotts Road in Dandenong South, with a $397,000 contribution from the Commonwealth; the resurfacing of Bloomfield Road in Noble Park, just around the corner from my electorate office, at $86,000; the repaving and sealing of Bear Street in Mordialloc, along with the replacement of kerbs, with a Commonwealth contribution of $688,401; the repaving and sealing of Scotch Parade in Chelsea, along with the replacement of kerbs outside the Beazley Reserve, at a cost of $156,521; and the reconstruction, rehabilitation and widening of Foam Street in Parkdale, with a Commonwealth contribution of $185,000. There are a number of local road projects in Isaacs in addition to these that I hope will get funding from this extra funding package in the near future.

Roads are very important for the people in my electorate of Isaacs, as they are for people throughout Australia—but, I suspect, particularly those in the outer suburbs. Good roads are required for the people and businesses in my electorate to operate on a daily basis. Despite the focus that one sees on public transport in some commentary, we do need to ensure that there are quality roads to serve the outer suburbs of our major metropolitan centres. Public transport at this stage simply does not extend far enough. Shaun Carney wrote a perceptive piece in the Age on 13 August about public transport, particularly in relation to the Carrum Downs area of my electorate. He said:

I suggested that people in the inner suburbs could benefit by taking the nearest train to the end of the line to see how hard it is for people in the outer suburbs to do without their cars. This was a mistake because it implied that Melbourne’s outer suburban belt was accessible by rail. In fact, it extends way beyond the metropolitan rail system.

Mr Carney was spot on. We need to keep clearly in mind that, right now, people in the outer suburbs depend on their cars and that calling only for spending on public transport ignores the very real current needs of people in the outer suburbs.

In the long term, better public transport may be the answer but, right now, we need to attend to much needed investment in local roads. The Rudd Labor government understands that local councils are well placed to prioritise requirements for local roads. Given that more than 75 per cent of roads are overseen by local governments, this extension of funding shows the government’s commitment to a national road improvement plan. This bill seeks to extend the Roads to Recovery project for five more years. The funding will also be increased to $350 million per year, totalling $1.75 billion of direct funding to local councils to fix local transport issues. The Australian Local Government Association has warmly welcomed this announcement and stated that the government ‘has recognised the economic and social benefits of investment to meet the transport expectations of local communities’. This bill builds on the comprehensive plans that the Rudd Labor government has for infrastructure and transport. I urge those opposite and their party in the Senate to put aside their partisan opportunism and support it. I commend this bill to the House.

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