Ms ANDERSON - 2007-04-19
Roads are a big winner in Budget 2007-08. Can you tell the House about the increased spending on repairs and maintenance, and the record spending on Territory roads?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for that question. As well as being the member for Macdonnell, she is certainly the member for roads. If there is one thing that the member for Macdonnell says very often, it is: ‘The roads, the roads, the roads in Central Australia’. If you talk to people right across the Territory, particularly in our remoter areas, their first priority is roads, their second priority is roads and their third priority is roads.
Whether it is a road in the Top End like the Wadeye to Darwin road, or a road in the Centre like the Santa Teresa to Alice road, they are vital links for Territorians – for residents in remote communities, moving freight around the Territory, moving cattle and produce around the Territory and, importantly, as people in Alice Springs understand, for our tourists. Roads and the money we spend on them is absolutely critical to the economic and social prosperity of the Territory.
In this budget, which comes down in May, there is a big increase in the money we are going to spend on your roads. That goes to the biggest sum ever - $180m over the next year. An important and critical component of that is what we are going to spend on repairs and maintenance on roads. It has had an increase, over the next four years, of $35m, and it takes the sum being spent of that $180m this year to $57m. They are just numbers, but what does that mean?
It means that on the road that goes to Santa Teresa we are going to spend $500 000. We will see better grades, and a much more effective road from here to Santa Teresa. If the member mentions it one more time - that money was absolutely critical.
There will be $2m spent on a very important economic road for Alice Springs, which is the Tanami Road. There will be $500 000 on the Sandover Highway, $300 000 on the Maryvale Road, and $1.74m on The Outback Way. As everyone knows, money is being spent on the Red Centre Way now - the best part of $16.5m for sealing in this financial year. In the next financial year, once we get to 2008-09, another $15m is allocated.
This is about the economics of the Centre of the Territory. It is about access, moving goods around the Territory, and safer roads. Importantly, when you look at all those contracts that are going to be let, it is about jobs, jobs, jobs.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for that question. As well as being the member for Macdonnell, she is certainly the member for roads. If there is one thing that the member for Macdonnell says very often, it is: ‘The roads, the roads, the roads in Central Australia’. If you talk to people right across the Territory, particularly in our remoter areas, their first priority is roads, their second priority is roads and their third priority is roads.
Whether it is a road in the Top End like the Wadeye to Darwin road, or a road in the Centre like the Santa Teresa to Alice road, they are vital links for Territorians – for residents in remote communities, moving freight around the Territory, moving cattle and produce around the Territory and, importantly, as people in Alice Springs understand, for our tourists. Roads and the money we spend on them is absolutely critical to the economic and social prosperity of the Territory.
In this budget, which comes down in May, there is a big increase in the money we are going to spend on your roads. That goes to the biggest sum ever - $180m over the next year. An important and critical component of that is what we are going to spend on repairs and maintenance on roads. It has had an increase, over the next four years, of $35m, and it takes the sum being spent of that $180m this year to $57m. They are just numbers, but what does that mean?
It means that on the road that goes to Santa Teresa we are going to spend $500 000. We will see better grades, and a much more effective road from here to Santa Teresa. If the member mentions it one more time - that money was absolutely critical.
There will be $2m spent on a very important economic road for Alice Springs, which is the Tanami Road. There will be $500 000 on the Sandover Highway, $300 000 on the Maryvale Road, and $1.74m on The Outback Way. As everyone knows, money is being spent on the Red Centre Way now - the best part of $16.5m for sealing in this financial year. In the next financial year, once we get to 2008-09, another $15m is allocated.
This is about the economics of the Centre of the Territory. It is about access, moving goods around the Territory, and safer roads. Importantly, when you look at all those contracts that are going to be let, it is about jobs, jobs, jobs.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016