Monday 1 May 2023
MEDIA RELEASE
CHOKED AND CONGESTED INFRASTRUCTURE FUTURE UNDER LABOR
Labor has established a razor gang to inflict major cuts to road and rail infrastructure projects in the Albanese Government’s Federal budget.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie said Labor’s lack of infrastructure ambition represents a plan for gridlocked city streets, unsafe regional freight routes and less family time at home.
“Continually cutting back on infrastructure projects will be a handbrake on economic growth and a barrier to driving national efficiencies needed to support budget repair and tackling inflation.”
“At the very time when the Government’s budget repair strategy should be to invest in productivity enhancing capital and cut back on unnecessary recurrent expenditure, Labor seem determined to do the opposite, dooming the nation to a slow and painful recovery.
“While taking the razor to infrastructure projects, Labor is failing to address the structural challenges on the spending side of the budget, ignoring the advice of key economic commentators.
Responding to Infrastructure Minister, Catherine King’s review of the infrastructure pipeline, Senator McKenzie said there was nothing but bad news for communities wanting to see their local roads upgraded to be safer, to respond to the pressures of growing populations and to move product to markets.
“Minister King has made it clear she plans to hollow out or “streamline” the list of infrastructure projects and is gearing up to implement a partisan purge of planned road and rail upgrades funded by the former Coalition Government.
“Regional roads of strategic freight importance and congestion-busting urban road projects have been specifically singled out, but nothing in the 10-year infrastructure pipeline can be considered safe from the axe.
Senator McKenzie said Labor had demolished any certainty the civil construction industry hoped to achieve from the 10-year infrastructure investment pipeline, making it harder for the sector to plan future financing and workforce needs.
“A lot of big and small businesses in the construction and associated supply chains have geared up to deliver the infrastructure pipeline and are waking up today to see their investments turning to ash.
“The only winners out of Minister King’s infrastructure review will be State Labor Premiers who can be assured of uncritical support for their pet projects like the Suburban Rail Loop and Brisbane Live Entertainment Arena.
“It appears as if investing in these projects will come at the expense of starving congested suburban roads and city streets of long overdue funding, as well as neglecting productivity-enhancing upgrades to strategic regional freight routes.
Senator McKenzie said the former Coalition Government saw the importance to the economy of a bold infrastructure agenda building the transport assets needed to support current and future growth by industry, and to tackle decades of under-investment by states in the infrastructure needed to support population growth.
“Major infrastructure legacies of the Coalition Government include investments to deliver the Western Sydney Airport, the upgrade of Mickleham Road in Melbourne’s north, Adelaide’s North-South road corridor, the Inland Rail, the Outback Way and significant infrastructure upgrades at Port Hedland and Middle Arm.
“By comparison, the Albanese Government is proving to be bereft of ambition or vision when it comes to the infrastructure portfolio and lacking in comprehension of the contribution infrastructure can make to strengthening the economy.
ENDS.