It tells you everything you need to know about the Morrison-Joyce government’s approach to infrastructure development that the biggest complaint they can make about Labor’s commitment to nation-building infrastructure is that we are beginning with the planning phase.
Late last year, Labor announced we would establish a high-speed rail authority to continue the work started by the last Labor government in developing this project.
Back in 2013, the last business case into high-speed rail identified a 1748km route from Melbourne to Brisbane and found the project was not only viable, but would return more than $2 in public benefit for every dollar invested. Based on that study, an independent panel including Nationals leader Tim Fischer and Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott recommended creation of a high-speed rail authority to advance the project.
It is only with planning like this that nation-building projects move from paper to reality. Of course, this is a long-term project, but the sooner we get to work the sooner it will be completed.
That’s why earlier this month, we announced we would invest $500m to begin land acquisition, planning and early works on the first phase of the route from Sydney to Newcastle. This is a tangible investment that will make the development of high-speed rail a reality. When complete, this section of the route will cut the journey from Sydney to Newcastle down to just 45 minutes from 2½ hours.
With the population of the Hunter Valley and Central Coast forecast to grow by 200,000 by 2040, Labor knows planning for Australia’s long-term future requires vision, dedication and a commitment to work co-operatively with the states and territories. These are attributes the Morrison-Joyce government is sorely lacking. It sees proper, collaborative planning as a vice, rather than a virtue. Whether it’s the rorted Commuter Car Park Fund, the rollout of the NBN or the highly politicised Urban Congestions Fund, the federal government’s infrastructure program is an incoherent mess.
The government conveniently likes to ignore the fact that the only reason the Inland Rail project is under way is because of the $900m invested in early works and planning by the last Labor government.
When last in office Labor built and upgraded 7500km of road, rebuilt more than a third of the rail network and committed more funding to urban rail infrastructure than all our predecessors since Federation combined.
Under Labor, Australia went from 20th to second on the international league table that ranks countries by the scale of the investment they’re making in infrastructure; we got on with projects such as upgrading the Bruce Highway, duplicating the Pacific Highway and building the Hunter Expressway. We built the projects Australians need now and began the process of building those we will need in the future.
All Australians have seen where the federal government’s disdain for process and planning leads – car park rorts, land scandals at Western Sydney Airport, broken promises and project after project being delayed into the ever-distant future.
Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher, writing in this newspaper earlier this week, urges us to “stick with the Coalition government”, but why on Earth would we want more of the same? The Morrison-Joyce government certainly won’t get better in a fourth term.
Only the Albanese Labor government will break the cycle of politicisation and rorts, and get on with building the nation-shaping projects that will deliver a better life to all Australians.
This opinion piece was first published in The Australian on Friday, 14 January 2022.
CATHERINE KING – OPINION PIECE – LABOR WILL GET ON WITH VITAL WORKS COALITION HAS IGNORED – FRIDAY, 14 JANUARY 2022
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