KAREN WHEATLAND, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR DURACK: It is my pleasure to welcome you all today and to stand up here alongside some very special guests. Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, Minister Catherine King, the Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling. Welcome. And also here with my esteemed friend and State Member for the Kimberley, Divina D’Anna. And Tony Chafer, Deputy Shire President.
The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future, today providing First Port of Entry to three critical ports in Western Australia’s north, along with a major package to boost housing and build community infrastructure in the state’s regions.
Applications for expanded border services at Wyndham, Ashburton and Dampier have been given the green light by the Albanese Government, allowing goods subject to biosecurity and other controls to land here and enter Australia.
JACOB GREBER, HOST: Prime Minister, thanks so much for joining us. What an extraordinary setting. We're here in Alpurrurulam, a station, a cattle station at Lake Nash, real cattle country. Big sky country. Like a movie set, I guess. What are you doing here?
PETER HUGHES, OWNER, LAKE NASH STATION: On behalf of my family and Erin and Natalie, managers of Lake Nash, and their staff, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the Prime Minister, also Minister Catherine King and the Member for Solomon Luke Gosling. We're really chuffed about this. I don't think a Prime Minister's ever visited Lake Nash. It is nearly in the centre of Australia, it’s a wonderful place and a wonderful piece of country.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It's wonderful to be back here in Mount Isa for my second visit here as Prime Minister. I came with Bob Katter to the rodeo here last year and that was a fantastic event to be able to attend as the Prime Minister. And here today, we have important announcements to make about community and housing infrastructure here throughout Queensland, but particularly here in the Kennedy electorate and in Mount Isa, Cloncurry and other parts of what is a vast part of Queensland.
The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future today, announcing over $50 million to boost housing and deliver community infrastructure projects in the electorate of Kennedy.
Over $30 million has been allocated through the Housing Support Program package to boost social housing supply across the region.
This funding will support the delivery of increased social housing supply through the construction of enabling infrastructure and community amenities such as roads, stormwater drainage, earthworks and connection to utilities.
CHARLIE MCKILLOP, HOST: It was no coincidence that Anthony Albanese started his New Year in Regional Queensland in Gympie and now in Cairns. And this time instead of bringing his boardies and thongs, the PM, well, he has been all business. As you've been hearing in our local news, he's announced a multi-million dollar boost to social housing for some of the most remote and disadvantaged Indigenous communities in the country. And also an unprecedented injection to fix the Bruce Highway. Prime Minister Albanese, thank you very much for being with us on ABC Far North.
The Albanese Labor Government is boosting Queensland’s housing supply by investing $101.8 million in critical infrastructure that will unlock more than 4,800 more homes across the state.
Ten projects will be allocated funding through the Albanese Government’s Housing Support Program, to fast-track housing in regional and metropolitan growth areas.
Funding will be used on enabling infrastructure works such as roads, sewage and water, as well as supporting access to social housing and increasing housing supply.
The Albanese Government is helping Queensland’s regions to thrive by investing $159 million in community infrastructure that will help improve the lives of locals.
Twenty-five projects will share in the funding which will go towards to building or upgrading community infrastructure - such as cultural and sporting hubs, town precincts and parks - that creates strong communities and impacts everyday lives.
The successful projects, which went through a competitive, merits-based assessment process, are:
STEPHANIE MARSH, HOST: Now we are joined by the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who is in Far North Queensland today as he continues a multi state blitz with an election announcement expected within weeks. Prime Minister Albanese, thank you for joining us there from Cairns.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you.
MARSH: We've got a lot of things to get through today, but firstly, can I get your thoughts on that awful plane crash that's happened in Western Australia?