I was delighted to see many of you at the Australian Council of Local Government in June. This was the first meeting of that Council in a decade. Re-establishing the Council was an election commitment, and it put local government firmly back on the national stage.
Prime Minister Albanese was, among other things, Minister for Local Government in the Rudd Government. So this was very important to him personally. And I can tell you his dedication to regional Australia — and regional WA — is unfailing. Before the last election, he committed to visiting WA 10 times in his first year in office. He reached that target ahead of schedule, having been here 14 times in 14 months. He has been to Albany, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Broome and Fitzroy Crossing — as well as all through the metropolitan area of Perth. In February, he even held the first-ever Federal Cabinet meeting in Port Hedland.
Local Government Minister Kristy McBain is also a former Mayor of Bega Valley Shire. She knows how hard local governments work for their communities.
And Infrastructure Minister Catherine King advocated for her community of Ballarat for over two decades. So she knows how important it is that governments listen to regional leaders. You have a team in Canberra who are well and truly in your corner. And today, I would like to speak briefly about three key priorities that will benefit regional Australia, including here in WA.
Infrastructure
The first is infrastructure. This is one of the Prime Minister’s biggest passions. Bridges, roads, rail — he lives for this stuff! Especially when it makes life easier for people in the regions. Right now, major infrastructure projects are being delivered across regional WA, including sealing the WA section of the Tanami Road; upgrading the Great Northern and Great Eastern Highways; and priority upgrades to the Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Network.
We Are also investing $565 million to upgrade port facilities in the Pilbara. This will expand the import and export capacity of the ports at Port Hedland and Dampier. Helping meet the expected growth in demand for critical minerals and renewables in coming years. We are also investing $1 billion in new Regional Grant Programs. We are putting extra funding into improving bridges and roads, too. And we have extended the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
With over $55 million already allocated to RCAWA councils, including: $200,000 for netball courts in Bunbury; a $585,000 to upgrade the carpark at the recreation and aquatic centre in Broome; and $750,000 to upgrade River Road in Esperance.
Projects like these don’t always make the headlines, but they do so much for quality of life. They help people connect with and enjoy their communities. We are also supporting high-speed, reliable communications infrastructure. This will provide more than 660,000 regional homes and businesses with access to high-speed, full fibre NBN connectivity, including in WA’s regional capitals. As the PM said when he visited the Kalgoorlie School of the Air in February: “Technology is the way that we overcome the tyranny of distance.”
We have also adopted the Regional Investment Framework to guide how we deliver regional investment. I know the RCAWA has been calling for this. And I am confident it will help ensure decision-making draws on the experience of local government.
Natural disaster resilience
The second issue I want to talk about is natural disaster resilience. As you know, local governments are on the front line when natural disasters hit. Since 2020, more than 80 per cent of Australia’s LGAs have been impacted by disasters. Some multiple times. WA has experienced several floods, fires and severe weather events in recent years. Including Cyclone Seroja in 2021, Cyclone Ellie in late 2022 and early 2023, and Cyclone Ilsa in 2023. The Federal Government has provided support to people and communities affected by these disasters, including by advancing nearly $94 million in recovery funding to the WA Government to enable councils to fast-track local repair work.
This has been a much-needed lifeline. But we have to do more to build our readiness for future disasters. So in coming months, the Federal Government — through the National Emergency Management Agency — will work with states and territories. Together, they will prepare for the upcoming higher risk weather season. Our $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund is also helping communities protect themselves against the impacts of natural disasters. Twenty-three projects in WA are being funded under Round One. One project in Busselton is installing fire suppression systems and using cool burning methods. Inspired by Indigenous knowledge to protect tourism and economic resources in fire-prone areas. Another project in Albany will identify refuge shelters during emergencies when it’s too late to evacuate. Other projects will benefit your council areas, too. We are also establishing a National Emergency Management Stockpile. Supporting states and territories when their capacity is exceeded during a natural disaster. And we are investing $236 million in the flood gauge network across Australia. So the system better warns people when floods are coming and protects emergency services personnel.
Tourism and Indigenous reconciliation
The third and final issue is tourism. The pandemic was devastating for the tourism industry. I know the pain isn’t over, but with borders open and travellers returning, I am optimistic for the future. The Prime Minister was a long-serving Shadow Minister for Tourism, and he feels the same way. WA achieved its highest ever annual visitor spend last year, with travellers spending $14 billion. Almost half of that was injected into the regional WA economy. New international links to Perth Airport will only accelerate this, with new services recently secured to Bali, Jakarta and Manila. Direct flights to Rome are also running for a third season. And services to key global destinations like Auckland, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo have resumed.
The WA Government is working hard to revitalise the sector. And last year, Premier Cook — who was Tourism Minister at the time — said Aboriginal culture is the beating heart of WA’s tourism strategy. He is exactly right. Aboriginal culture is at the heart of WA’s history, and we should continue to celebrate and learn from the world’s oldest living culture. Jina — the WA Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan — sets a vision for WA to become the premier Aboriginal tourism destination in Australia. This will mean empowering Aboriginal people to enter the tourism sector. Growing the number of strong, authentic Aboriginal tourism businesses, and delivering high-quality events that celebrate Aboriginal culture. Aboriginal-owned or led tourism experiences can bring a wealth of learning and knowledge to people from across Australia and around the world.
Through Jina, WA recognises the vital place of Aboriginal culture in the state’s unique identity. And this gives me hope that we will, as a state, also support recognition of the First Peoples of Australia in the Constitution through a Voice. This will be a vehicle for real and practical progress. And it will give Parliament and Government the advice that will drive better results in health, education, employment and housing. The idea for a Voice comes from First Nations people through the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It represents decades of work towards recognition. And I am confident that when Australians find themselves making this decision, their generosity of spirit will get this constitutional change up.
Conclusion
Thank you again for the opportunity to be here today. I leave you with these words from the Prime Minister, said at Showcase WA in Canberra earlier this month:
“I’ve always been an optimist about Australia’s future and as Prime Minister, Western Australia is central to that optimism.”
I couldn’t agree more. Thank you.