❓ The Minister for Transport details the McGowan government's investment in regional road safety, highlighting expenditure, Aboriginal employment, and contrasting their approach with the previous Liberal party's unfulfilled promises. The answer focuses on the Great Northern Highway and securing federal funding.
AnsweredQoN 75Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM
75. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record investment in upgrading regional roads and
improving road safety right across Western Australia, including the roads to
the Great Northern Highway through the Kimberley. Can the minister please
update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's regional roads
program is supporting regional communities, improving road safety and helping
to create jobs?
75. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record investment in upgrading regional roads and
improving road safety right across Western Australia, including the roads to
the Great Northern Highway through the Kimberley. Can the minister please
update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's regional roads
program is supporting regional communities, improving road safety and helping
to create jobs?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kimberley for
that question. I congratulate her on her election. I know that she will be an
excellent and very strong representative for the Kimberley.
The McGowan government is delivering
a record amount of infrastructure throughout regional Western Australia,
particularly when it comes to regional roads. Over the past four years there
has been significant expenditure, and that will continue because of the years
of neglect of regional road safety under the other side. Remember that the
National Party said, when it was in government, that we should not be spending
money on regional roads; that it was not important enough for royalties for
regions funding. That was the attitude of the National Party and the Liberal
Party when they were in government. Of course, we are spending a record amount.
The Great Northern Highway, as members know, plays such a vital role through
the Kimberley. We will be upgrading the Ord River section of Great Northern
Highway between Halls Creek and the Victoria Highway turn-off. That will
support access to mining and pastoral leases, remote communities and the port
of Wyndham.
Member for Kimberley, one of the big
initiatives that we have undertaken is to ensure that we have Aboriginal
employment and Aboriginal businesses participating in our program. In 2019–20,
6.7 per cent and nearly half a million work hours were undertaken by Aboriginal
people, 10.3 per cent of the total hours worked on our projects were worked by
Aboriginal people and 14.8 per cent of the contracts were awarded to Aboriginal
businesses. That was a significant achievement and we want to do more.
Another program that affects
everyone, including those in the Kimberley, is our regional road safety
program. Over two years, $455 million has been allocated. I thank the new
Minister for Road Safety and acknowledge the previous Minister for Road Safety
for their support of this program. The $455 million program was started under
this government. We went to the federal government and we sought further
funding. Members, I am pleased to announce now that in last night's
federal budget, another $142 million has been secured for regional road safety.
That means saving lives throughout regional WA. Again, with the $50 million
that we allocated as part of the election campaign, that is nearly $200 million
on top of the $455 million—just think about that! A few years ago,
about $10 million per annum was being spent on that program. Now, over $200 million
will be spent per annum. We have been serious about road safety from day one.
This program saves lives and I am so proud to have achieved so much funding
from the feds and also from our contribution.
Of course, the Liberal Party made a commitment
during the election campaign. I remember it went out very early and committed
$900 million to the program. When its costings were released at a big press
conference on that fateful day, I think it was the Thursday before the state
election—some sort of ''safer today for a better tomorrow'';
I cannot remember what its claim was—do members know how many dollars
were actually allocated just two days before the election, after they had made
an announcement of $900 million? Do members know how many dollars were
allocated? Zero! That is how Liberal members treated road safety. They went out
on the side of the road down in Albany and made an announcement about a big
initiative. All these third parties were welcoming their announcement, but, to
tell the truth, I was a bit shocked and thought, ''Wow! That was a big
announcement!'' We were sensible. We said that we would allocate $50 million
to it and go to the commonwealth for more. What did they do? They announced a $900
million initiative but allocated zero dollars in their costings document. We
have taken it seriously. We have worked with the commonwealth and are out there
improving infrastructure throughout regional WA.
that question. I congratulate her on her election. I know that she will be an
excellent and very strong representative for the Kimberley.
The McGowan government is delivering
a record amount of infrastructure throughout regional Western Australia,
particularly when it comes to regional roads. Over the past four years there
has been significant expenditure, and that will continue because of the years
of neglect of regional road safety under the other side. Remember that the
National Party said, when it was in government, that we should not be spending
money on regional roads; that it was not important enough for royalties for
regions funding. That was the attitude of the National Party and the Liberal
Party when they were in government. Of course, we are spending a record amount.
The Great Northern Highway, as members know, plays such a vital role through
the Kimberley. We will be upgrading the Ord River section of Great Northern
Highway between Halls Creek and the Victoria Highway turn-off. That will
support access to mining and pastoral leases, remote communities and the port
of Wyndham.
Member for Kimberley, one of the big
initiatives that we have undertaken is to ensure that we have Aboriginal
employment and Aboriginal businesses participating in our program. In 2019–20,
6.7 per cent and nearly half a million work hours were undertaken by Aboriginal
people, 10.3 per cent of the total hours worked on our projects were worked by
Aboriginal people and 14.8 per cent of the contracts were awarded to Aboriginal
businesses. That was a significant achievement and we want to do more.
Another program that affects
everyone, including those in the Kimberley, is our regional road safety
program. Over two years, $455 million has been allocated. I thank the new
Minister for Road Safety and acknowledge the previous Minister for Road Safety
for their support of this program. The $455 million program was started under
this government. We went to the federal government and we sought further
funding. Members, I am pleased to announce now that in last night's
federal budget, another $142 million has been secured for regional road safety.
That means saving lives throughout regional WA. Again, with the $50 million
that we allocated as part of the election campaign, that is nearly $200 million
on top of the $455 million—just think about that! A few years ago,
about $10 million per annum was being spent on that program. Now, over $200 million
will be spent per annum. We have been serious about road safety from day one.
This program saves lives and I am so proud to have achieved so much funding
from the feds and also from our contribution.
Of course, the Liberal Party made a commitment
during the election campaign. I remember it went out very early and committed
$900 million to the program. When its costings were released at a big press
conference on that fateful day, I think it was the Thursday before the state
election—some sort of ''safer today for a better tomorrow'';
I cannot remember what its claim was—do members know how many dollars
were actually allocated just two days before the election, after they had made
an announcement of $900 million? Do members know how many dollars were
allocated? Zero! That is how Liberal members treated road safety. They went out
on the side of the road down in Albany and made an announcement about a big
initiative. All these third parties were welcoming their announcement, but, to
tell the truth, I was a bit shocked and thought, ''Wow! That was a big
announcement!'' We were sensible. We said that we would allocate $50 million
to it and go to the commonwealth for more. What did they do? They announced a $900
million initiative but allocated zero dollars in their costings document. We
have taken it seriously. We have worked with the commonwealth and are out there
improving infrastructure throughout regional WA.
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