❓ Question regarding assurances of increased Commonwealth funding for local roads in WA in the upcoming federal budget and satisfaction with efforts to secure funding. Answer focuses on existing funding arrangements and anticipated contributions.
AnsweredQoN 229Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL ROADS — COMMONWEALTH FUNDING
Given that we will hear all sorts of spin from the Treasurer in an hour’s time about state infrastructure spending, and given the minister’s claims about having a great personal working relationship with the federal government, I ask — (1) Has the minister been given any assurances by the commonwealth government that it will increase funding for local roads in Western Australia in next week’s federal budget? (2) Is the minister satisfied with her own efforts to secure more road funding from the commonwealth government, and can she share her expectations with us today? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
Given that we will hear all sorts of spin from the Treasurer in an hour’s time about state infrastructure spending, and given the minister’s claims about having a great personal working relationship with the federal government, I ask — (1) Has the minister been given any assurances by the commonwealth government that it will increase funding for local roads in Western Australia in next week’s federal budget? (2) Is the minister satisfied with her own efforts to secure more road funding from the commonwealth government, and can she share her expectations with us today? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
(1) Has the minister been given any assurances by the commonwealth government that it will increase funding for local roads in Western Australia in next week’s federal budget? (2) Is the minister satisfied with her own efforts to secure more road funding from the commonwealth government, and can she share her expectations with us today? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
(2) Is the minister satisfied with her own efforts to secure more road funding from the commonwealth government, and can she share her expectations with us today? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
(1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
(1) Has the minister been given any assurances by the commonwealth government that it will increase funding for local roads in Western Australia in next week’s federal budget? (2) Is the minister satisfied with her own efforts to secure more road funding from the commonwealth government, and can she share her expectations with us today? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
(2) Is the minister satisfied with her own efforts to secure more road funding from the commonwealth government, and can she share her expectations with us today? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
I thank the member for the question and for giving me some notice of it. (1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
(1)-(2) At the most recent transport ministers’ meeting, Minister Albanese made it very clear that he wanted to continue a very direct relationship with local government and ensure that funding for local government continues. The state government has already achieved great success in securing road funding for Western Australia, particularly regional Western Australia, from the new federal government. Members will recall that under AusLink we were not entitled to bid for funding for any of the roads into our regional ports. It was an absolutely bizarre situation that the state government was able to reverse through an arrangement entered into with the Rudd team before the last federal election. The federal government has confirmed that it will honour the arrangement, and Western Australia will receive very significant funding to improve the roads into the Dampier, Port Hedland and Bunbury ports, and the road and rail line into the port of Esperance. This is a fantastic arrangement. Western Australia was totally precluded from developing such an arrangement with the previous federal coalition government. The federal coalition government provided Western Australia with approximately a third of the funding required for the construction of the Perth-Bunbury highway. The federal Labor team has now made a commitment to share the funding with Western Australia and to be real partners with the state government for the construction of this road. I anticipate that the federal Labor government will make a very significant contribution to the Perth-Bunbury highway in the federal budget. This arrangement has been very good for Western Australia. We will continue to fight for more money, but we have already been assured of a package that we could never have obtained from the previous government.
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