City of Newcastle is working to enhance the outdoor dining experience along Darby Street while improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.
A six-month trial starting in spring will see the footpath widened between Sanctum and Goldbergs restaurants. This work will see a removable platform installed to increase space for outdoor dining. This will be made possible during the trial period by extending a dining platform over seven existing car parking spaces.
The project will bring new life to the Darby Headphones Courtyard with new street seating, paving, lighting and public art to encourage people to visit, stay and connect. The project will also include the installation of vibrant murals on both the walls and footpaths, celebrating local and upcoming artists in collaboration with local art festivals. A new pedestrian crossing leading to the courtyard will improve accessibility and safety.
The temporary loss of car parking spaces in the area will be offset by the conversion of sixteen existing paid all-day parking behind the Newcastle Art Gallery (which is currently closed for the long-awaited expansion) into free, two-hour parking spaces during the trial. A convenient drop-off /pick-up zone near the shops and eateries will also form part of the trial.
Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said safety improvements and beautification of the popular eat-street would bring a range of benefits to the community.
“Our local hospitality industry was hit hard during COVID-19. Investment in our local centres helps restore confidence, create local jobs and boost our twilight and after dark economy, which employed 12,000 Novocastrian and created $1.4 billion per year in economic activity prior to COVID,” Councillor Clausen said.
“Across the City, public investment into our local centres is translating into improved consumer and business confidence – delivering safer and more inviting local places for Novocastrians to shop and eat.
“Outdoor dining is more popular than ever, and this project is perfectly timed for long Spring meals at Darby Street’s quirky cafes, small bars and restaurants.
“Walkable and cycle-friendly local centres are critical to making great places. Trialling of traffic calming infrastructure will make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and help create an environment where dining spaces for local cafes and restaurants can be extended.”
The trial has been made possible with funding from the City of Newcastle Urban Centres Revitalisation Program and a $500,000 grant from the NSW Government through the Streets as Shared Spaces program (Round 2). The program funds trials that support immediate community needs and test and build the case for more permanent changes that positively impact local economies and community health and wellbeing.
Community consultation will commence tomorrow, Monday 16 May, gathering feedback on the proposed trial. This feedback will also help inform future projects in the area. Visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/yoursay
Sydenham Station’s multi-million-dollar transformation marks a significant milestone in the delivery of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest section of Australia’s biggest public transport infrastructure project.
Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott said the $301 million program of works delivered a modern first-class railway station which is ready to be integrated into the Sydney Metro system once services are running.
“The completion of works at Sydenham highlights the progress that is being made on this once in a generation public transport project and the commitment of this government to deliver transformative infrastructure projects,” Mr Elliott said.
“The Sydney Metro is a visionary project which will revolutionise the public transport network with commuters able to catch an air-conditioned metro service every four minutes.
“These large-scale projects connect people and places, communities and businesses, while supporting future employment and population growth. They also provide a boost to the construction industry with more than 6,500 workers inducted onto the Sydenham site and more than 2.5 million total hours worked since the project started,” Mr Elliott said.
New metro platforms enables commuters easy access to interchange from metro services on platforms 1 and 2 with Sydney Trains services on other platforms.
Other features to be progressively delivered include: a new pedestrian concourse and station entrance at Burrows Avenue; new signage and wayfinding, lift access, and platform safety screen doors which make platforms safer for customers and improves travel efficiency by allowing trains to get in and out of stations much faster.
So far more than 100 metres of the total 340 metres of barriers have been installed along metro platforms, improving safety by creating a 1.7 metre barrier between the platform and the new tracks.
NSW is enjoying a fee-free training boom with more than 200,000 enrolments recorded under JobTrainer, a program helping people get skilled for in-demand jobs.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Government’s strong economic management means we can deliver programs such as JobTrainer to equip people with the skills they need to get their first job, a new job or a better job.
“The NSW Government is turbocharging the take-up of vocational education and training to create a strong pipeline of skilled and qualified workers, which is helping secure a brighter future for NSW families,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Our record infrastructure program is creating enormous demand for jobs and our investment in fee-free training is helping meet that demand so we can continue to build what matters to make daily life better.
“The success of the JobTrainer program is helping strengthen our economy, which means more money for services, community amenity and less pressure on households.”
Training under the program is fee-free and fully funded for eligible people wanting to upskill or reskill.
The NSW Government has expanded the eligibility criteria for the program to target more in-demand industries, including construction, manufacturing, transport, logistics, aged care, disability care, childcare and digital skills.
JobTrainer has also supported more than 5,000 women into construction-related courses through the Built for Women initiative.
Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the number of people commencing apprenticeships and traineeships in NSW has sky-rocketed since the launch of the program.
“JobTrainer is all about helping people get the skills they need for the job they want, while helping drive our economic recovery from the pandemic,” Mr Henskens said.
“Whether you’re a young person exploring your career or someone wanting to re-skill for an in-demand industry, JobTrainer can provide the fee-free training to help you kick-start your journey.”
JobTrainer is a joint State and Federal funded program, which is injecting $637 million into the NSW skills and training market. More information about eligibility and training courses on offer is available online.
The NSW Government today confirmed the 11-kilometre toll-free tunnel from Blackheath to Little Hartley as the preferred option following an in-depth feasibility analysis and extensive investigation process.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the proposed central tunnel would be Australia’s longest road tunnel.
“This is a history-making legacy project that will deliver safer and more efficient journeys for locals, tourists and freight travelling between the Central West and the East Coast,” Mr Toole said.
“The tunnel will reduce congestion and improve safety for local residents, tourists and freight operators.
“In May last year, we started investigating plans to join the two to create the longest road tunnel in the entire country – and today, we’re locking that plan in as the preferred option.
“This is a complex, ambitious plan but we’re on track for shovels to hit the ground on the east and west stages of the upgrade early next year because we’re getting on with the job of building a safer, stronger road network across all parts of the state.
“The Blackheath to Little Hartley tunnel design features dual carriageways for both eastbound and westbound motorists in separate twin tunnels and a gentler gradient to cut travel times and improve freight efficiencies.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the Blue Mountains tunnel would deliver a raft of benefits that would transform the connection between Sydney and western NSW.
“This tunnel project, as part of the major upgrade of the Great Western Highway between Lithgow and Katoomba, will help improve the economic development, productivity and accessibility in and through the Blue Mountains, Central West and Orana regions,” Mr Farraway said.
“It will improve the resilience of the state’s major road corridor across the Blue Mountains during traffic incidents and natural disasters and will be built to accommodate future population growth west of the Blue Mountains.
“The straighter alignment will improve road safety through the mountains and the tunnel will help unlock the potential of western NSW, for the benefit of all residents and businesses in this important part of the state.
“Once the full upgrade to the Great Western Highway is complete, it is predicted to save motorists up to 30 minutes between Katoomba and Lithgow during busy periods.
It’s time to make the Western Highway Great again and that is exactly what this upgrade will do.”
Transport for NSW will continue its program of consultation with Blue Mountains and Central West communities and the Wiradjuri, Dharug and Gundungurra communities through a series of online and face-to-face information sessions about the tunnel project in coming weeks.
Face-to-face information sessions for everyone in the community will be held at the Hartley Community Hall (Wednesday 18 May, 6pm-8pm), Katoomba Cultural Centre (Wednesday 25 May, 4:30pm – 8pm) and Blackheath Neighbourhood Centre (Saturday 4 June, 10am – 12pm).
Online sessions will be held on Monday 23 May and Thursday 9 June at 6:30pm.
Participants can register for all sessions through the online web portal at nswroads.work/gwheastconsult.
These early information sessions precede the formal consultation which will come later in 2022 when the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Blackheath to Little Hartley tunnel goes on exhibition.
At that time the community will have further opportunity to explore the design, consider the benefits and impacts of the proposal and make formals submissions which will be responded to in a submissions report.
Dr Richard Stephenson is a Specialist Emergency Physician and an Adventurer. He was also a Scout and says that it was his “time in the Scouts that prepared me for a life of adventure.” As he and fellow medical specialist, Dr Gareth Andrews, prepare for the biggest adventure of their life, The Last Great First Expedition, the first fully unsupported ski crossing of Antarctica, the two doctors say that their adventurous spirit began with being involved with their local Scouts group.
The Last Great First Antarctic Traverse will see a historic Expedition being undertaken by the two doctors. They are attempting the first fully unsupported ski crossing of Antarctica, skiing 2,600km for 110 days all the while pulling a 200kg sled. If they succeed, they will break the world record for the longest unsupported polar Expedition. After months of intensive training in Norway, New Zealand and Australia, the Expedition will start in October 2022 through to February 2023.
“Scouts Australia is proud to be supporting The Last Great First Expedition,” says Phil Harrison, National Chief Commissioner, Scouts Australia. “The Expedition will demonstrate many of the Scouts Australia’s values and attributes including courage, resilience, empowerment, responsibility, and self-confidence fuelled by teamwork, passion and commitment.”
“Antarctica is a place that inspires wonder and sparks the imagination. What Gareth and Richard are attempting is one of the great expeditions and, on behalf of all Australians, I wish them well. I will be following their progress closely!” said the Chief Scout.
“It is an honour to be welcoming them back to Scouts and as a member of the worldwide Scout community,” Mr Harrison added. “Ceremonies such as this are very rare. This would be the first time in memory that we have had the Governor-General and Chief Scout of Australia invest Ambassadors for Scouts Australia.”
“As former Scouts, Gareth and Richard were provided with foundation skills for life thanks to their time in Scouting. They follow in the footsteps of explorer Sir Douglas Mawson who was awarded the Silver Wolf, the highest Scouting medal of its time (1915). An award which reflected the qualities of a Scout – discipline, obedience, resourcefulness and self-reliance,” said Mr Harrison.
Dr Stephenson started Scouts at the age of eight and says, “I remember finding Scouts exciting and inspiring, the feeling of a world of adventures and opportunities laid out in front of me by Scouts. That brief association was the beginning of my passion for the outdoors, the personal survival skills that needed to be learned to travel in wild places safely, and the sense of adventure to be had off the beaten track.”
Fellow Explorer, Consultant Anaesthetist at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, and Expedition Doctor, Dr Gareth Andrews grew up on a wild and remote island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It was here that his parents introduced to him the wonders of the natural world and the enjoyment of being outside. Joining the Beaver Scouts at what is now the Penzance/Madron Scout Group aged seven, he distinctly remembers the pride he felt in his grey Beavers jumper, blue scarf, yellow woggle and purple Scout badge. Gareth graduated to the Cub Scouts and then to Scouts. “It was with this group that I first used a compass, abseiled down a cliff, paddled a canoe and slept in a tent with my friends,” says Dr Andrews.
As a team, Dr Stephenson and Dr Andrews have been exploring and adventuring together for over 10 years. As school-boys their imagination was captured by tales from over a hundred years ago and has helped the team forge their own paths to the poles. Working with Scouts of all ages in Australia and internationally, Dr Stephenson and Dr Andrews hope to inspire the next generation of Scouts to reach for their goals and achieve their own remarkable aspirations.
Dr Andrews sums up his love of Scouts as, “My time in the Scouts equipped me with the necessary survival skills to be safe and to push the boundaries in the world’s wild places. It was also in the Scouts that, as a youngster, I was first introduced to the concepts of leadership, camaraderie and teamwork. Scouts also taught me my most valuable lesson, to be inquisitive about the world we live in. I carry these lessons with me now, many years later, and I firmly believe they make me a better Doctor and Adventurer.”
“In the past 10 years, Scouts Australia has had only one Ambassador, Andrew Lock OAM, a world acclaimed adventurer and high alpine mountaineer,” says Mr Harrison. “The World Ambassador for Scouts is Bear Grylls. Ambassadors Dr Stephenson and Dr Andrews are acclaimed individuals who are an inspiration to our young people and who have demonstrated the Scouting spirit, and ethos, in their pursuits.”
Scouts Australia programs around Australia have resumed in full since the removal of most Covid-19 restrictions. Those new to Scouts can express their interest online at scouts.com.au, and be put in contact with their local Scout Group.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt will address the Greens official national campaign launch in the Brisbane seat of Griffith today, which the party is hoping to win, and outline the Greens ‘balance of power’ shortlist for negotiations in the likely event of a minority Parliament.
The Greens have said they will put on the table a pared-back version of their comprehensive platform – a 7 point balance of power shortlist – comprised of no new coal and gas mines, cost of living measures like dental into Medicare, and action for First Nations’ people.
The party has also suggested revenue proposals to pay for its measures which it believes Labor could adopt, with all measures focused on making big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share of tax and none on lifting revenue on everyday people.
With support for the Greens surging and a minority parliament increasingly likely, Mr Bandt will say that:
no new coal and gas;
dental and mental health into Medicare;
building 1 million affordable homes and better renters rights;
free childcare;
wiping student debt;
lifting income support; and
progress on all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart;
will be priorities for the party. (Details of each element are set out in the table below.)
The Party would still campaign on its comprehensive plan that includes other measures (such as free education) and would seek to progress those during the life of the next Parliament, but that the fully-funded shortlist represented a starting point for discussions in a minority Parliament and also signalled the party’s priorities when exercising Senate balance of power in either a minority or majority parliament.
Addressing a crowd of Party supporters at the BlackHops Brewery in the electorate of Griffith, Mr Bandt will say it is important that all voters know what the Greens would be pushing for with Labor in a minority parliament after kicking the Liberals out.
Recent polling shows the Greens vote is surging in Queensland with all three inner Brisbane seats on the cusp of falling to the Greens.
Mr Bandt will be joined at the launch by Greens Senate Leader Larissa Waters, Greens QLD Senate candidate and school teacher Penny Allman-Payne, Greens candidate for the Labor seat of Griffith, Max Chandler-Mather, Greens candidate for the Liberal seat of Ryan, Elizabeth Watson-Brown, and Stephen Bates, Greens candidate for Liberal seat of Brisbane, as well as many other lower house and Senate candidates from around the country via videolink.
The launch will be live streamed on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
The Greens are on track to be the most powerful third party in the next Parliament, with balance of power in the House and Senate very likely.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:
“In balance of power, the Greens will kick the Liberals out and push for urgent action on the climate crisis, the cost of living crisis and justice for First Nations people.
“Voters deserve to know what will be on the negotiating table. Of course we want to see all our policies implemented, but these will be at the top of the list.
“The Greens will kick the Liberals out and tackle the climate crisis by stopping new coal and gas mines, and we’ll address the rising cost of living by getting dental and mental health into Medicare, building affordable housing and making childcare free.
“The Greens also want action for First Nations people, including a Truth and Justice Commission to begin acknowledging the violence and dispossession of this land’s first peoples, as well as progress towards a Treaty, to complement Labor’s commitment to progress the Voice to Parliament.
“We’ll also tackle inequality and cost of living pressures by pushing to wipe student debt and increase income support above the poverty line.
“By making big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share of tax, we can build a better future for all of us.
“This election has become a narrow contest between a terrible government that’s got to go and a visionless opposition that keeps agreeing with them. The Greens will kick the Liberals out and keep Labor on track.”
Minority government – background
Adam Bandt and the Greens were central to the Gillard minority government securing a major investment of $13 billion into clean energy and dental into Medicare for kids, reforms that continue today and now are supported across the Parliament.
For the last decade Mr Bandt has worked across the Parliament, especially with the crossbench, and is an experienced negotiator. Within the first year of the last minority Parliament, Mr Bandt secured cross-party support for legislation addressing high rates of cancer amongst firefighters because of their work, and worked on several hundreds of pieces of legislation in the minority Parliament. Anthony Albanese was the government Leader of the House during this period.
About the priorities
The following policies have been publicly announced and have been costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office.
No new coal and gas
The Greens will push for no new coal and gas mines to be opened, something climate scientists, the International Energy Agency and the UN have all said is vital to meeting climate goals. Research indicates that if the 114 currently proposed coal, oil, and gas projects are allowed to continue, they will emit pollution equivalent to 2.5 times Australia’s annual carbon emissions.
The Beetaloo project alone will increase Australia’s emissions by an estimated 13%, something not accounted for in Government or Labor climate modelling. The proposal includes the Greens’ ‘Looking After Coal Workers’ plan, including wage subsidies for coal workers as coal is exited.
Affordable housing
One million new public homes, to be built over 20 years, will clear public housing waiting lists, make housing more affordable, end homelessness, and ensure everyone has a roof over their head. As part of this plan, people can buy into some of these dwellings for $300,000 or rent them for 25% of their income.
Dental and mental health into Medicare
Under the Greens’ plan, everyone eligible for Medicare will be entitled to access clinically relevant dental services with Medicare rebates, including general dental, orthodontics, and restorative services.
The Greens will also expand the Better Access Initiative to unlimited psychology or psychiatric therapy sessions and raise their Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rebates for patients with a diagnosed mental illness. The rebates would be offered at two levels to give mental health care providers a real avenue to providing no-gap mental health care.
Free childcare
The Greens will make early childhood education and care free for everyone, including by expanding universal access to preschool for 3 and 4 year olds
Wiping Student Debt
Nearly three million people owed an average of $23,685 in study debt in 2020-21, and the Greens will ensure young people are provided with relief from their debt sentence and money is put back into the pockets of those who need it most. The Greens plan will abolish all student debt.
Lifting income support
The Liveable Income Guarantee would see all government income support payments raised above the poverty line, mutual obligations abolished, and unfair restrictions on who can access the payment removed, to ensure that everyone has the means to cover their basic essential needs.
Progress on all elements of the Uluru statement will be priorities for the party
The Greens will work with the next government to pass major reforms to improve First Nations rights and lives, including the establishment of a Truth and Justice Commission and a Treaty Commission.
The Greens have outlined a plan to save the Tasmanian devil and called on the Liberals and Labor to adopt the comprehensive measures required to protect this iconic species.
Federal funding has been critical to the Tasmanian devil’s survival, but this ended in 2017 despite their recovery from the infectious cancer that decimated their population being far from over.
This is despite warnings from conservationists that the species is battling a myriad of pressures, including on our roads where 114 Tasmanian devil deaths were documented on a 25-kilometre stretch of road in the state’s north-west in a 14-month period to March 2022.
The Greens’ plan to Green Australia includes measures critical to the plight of the Tasmanian devil, including:
Stopping the extinction crisis through setting a goal of Zero Extinction by 2030 and investing in a mass greening and restoration program, to ensure we are protecting habitats for our native animals and plants.
Greening Australia by investing $24.4 billion over the next decade, including by restoring wildlife habitat, planting 2 billion trees by 2030 and reestablishing green space in our cities, regions and suburbs.
Ending native forest logging to help reduce fire risk, and support workers transitioning into sustainable plantation forestry.
Protecting our natural environment and wildlife from land clearing, pollution and destruction by strengthening Environment Protection Laws.
Establish an Independent Environment Watchdog to enforce stronger environmental laws and hold governments, mining corporations and property developers to account.
Greens spokesperson for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson said:
“The proposal to scrap the Tasmanian devil’s recovery plan is frighteningly short-sighted, but what we have come to expect from this government.
“Australia is in an extinction crisis and recovery plans are one of the key instruments that we have to help threatened species recover.
“Abandoning the Tasmanian devil now, after so much time and money and love has been poured into keeping the treasured species alive and healthy, is a cruel death sentence.
“Aside from the facial tumour disease the Tasmanian devil still faces significant threats from land clearing, mining in takayna/Tarkine, forestry and from becoming roadkill.
“The Greens’ have outlined comprehensive measures required to protect the Tasmanian devil and call on the Liberals and Labor to adopt these measures if the iconic species is to stand any chance of survival.
Greens spokesperson for the environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“Our wildlife is suffering. We need a comprehensive plan to protect our environment and look after our native species.
“The Green Australia plan will restore habitat and save our wildlife from extinction.
“Here in lutruwita/Tasmania, animals like the Tassie devil need urgent protection and funding before they’re lost forever.
“In balance of power, we will push the next government to adopt a zero extinction by 2030 target, create thousands of jobs to restore habitat and put in place an environmental watchdog to hold governments and corporations to account.”
Nipaluna/Hobart will be at the centre of an exciting national trial to roll out more bicycle infrastructure under an $18m fully-costed plan launched by the Greens today.
In the last power sharing arrangement with the Gillard Labor Government the Greens negotiated an historic $80m national bike path fund. This included a “Bike Blackspot” app and campaign where cyclists can log blackspot in existing bike paths, which generates an email and report to the Minister for Infrastructure, and contributes to a real time map of all Blackspots in Australia.
Today’s announcement would build on this legacy and incorporate lessons learnt from that funding program.
More than one in six Tasmanians ride a bicycle at least once a week yet since the Liberals have been in government virtually no federal funding has been allocated to underwrite the growth in active transport networks.
$18 million in federal funding would also help better enable holistic planning processes and help expand the existing Network into much needed places. This includes building a shared path along the Tasman Highway from Mornington to the Tasman Bridge, a path linking Lutana to Glenorchy, extension of the Intercity Cycleway to Austins Ferry, and further extension of the Whitewater Creek Track.
Greens senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson said:
“The Greens are proud to be working with bicycle communities and have pledged $18 million federal funding to match the ask from Greater Hobart council mayors for an Active Transport Network (ATN).
“This is a positive initiative we can all be proud of and we urge both Tasmanian Labor and Liberal Senate candidates to match this pledge to help make Hobart a national leader in the rollout of active transport networks’.
“We need a reset of cycling policy in lutruwita/Tasmania to promote this climate-safe and healthy form of transport.
“In total, more than 50% of all Greater Hobart employment occurs in the Hobart CBD and traffic congestion has become dire.
“No matter how good drivers are to cyclists, there are always some roads that are dangerous to ride on, cyclists need their own network of shared paths to ensure a safe commute.
“The ATN will develop linked and accessible pathways throughout the Great Hobart area, supporting easy connections with active transport choices like bikes, scooters, mobility devices and wheelchairs.
Greens spokesperson for transport, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“We need a cycling revolution across the country and the beautiful Apple Isle is a great place to start.
“Cycling is an important part of protecting our environment from pollution and the green recovery we need in the face of the climate crisis.
“The major parties are backing transport infrastructure that locks in pollution, props up fossil fuel corporations and will make the climate crisis even worse.
“With this investment we can reap the rewards of a clean transport option while keeping people safe at the same time – it’s a win-win.”
An Albanese Labor Government will partner with the McGowan Government to deliver a new Bentley Hospital Surgicentre, benefiting patients in the Eastern metro area of Perth.
The new Surgicentre will separate non-complex elective surgery from emergency surgery. This means less interruptions and fewer delays for elective surgery, and a safer and more efficient service.
This innovative model will ensure the right care is given to patients at the right time. As well as providing better care for patients in the most modern surgical facilities, it will cut waiting times for elective surgeries.
The investment will deliver:
Six new surgical theatres;
Two new procedure rooms;
A 24-bed surgical ward; and
A new central sterilisation services department.
This $150 million project will be a joint effort between the McGowan Government and a Federal Labor Government, with costs shared on a 50/50 basis.
This is yet another demonstration of a Federal Labor Government’s ability to work cooperatively with the States to get things done – compared to Scott Morrison’s approach of division.
The new Surgicentre is another plank in Labor’s plan to strengthen Medicare, which includes 50 Urgent Care Clinics nationwide to take pressure off emergency departments, reducing the cost of medications listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme by $12.50, and establishing a $750 million Strengthening Medicare Fund.
Anthony Albanese said: “Only Labor can be trusted to protect Medicare, and strengthen it for future generations. I’m proud to announce a new Surgicentre for Perth, which will reduce elective surgery waiting times. Labor’s plan will ensure Australians get the care they need, when they need it.”
Mark McGowan said: “Labor’s new Bentley Hospital Surgicentre will be a significant boost for communities in our eastern suburbs.
“The innovative model will also provide relief to our health system which, like other States, is under pressure due to ongoing challenges from the pandemic.
“My Government is proud to join forces with an Albanese Government, if elected, to fund this $150 million dollar project, which will further improve the rollout of elective surgery in Western Australia.”
Mark Butler said: “Labor has a comprehensive plan to strengthen Medicare and take pressure off emergency departments. The new Bentley Surgicentre will do just that for the east metro area of Perth, and ensure elective surgery happens on time. This is just another example of how an Albanese Labor government would work with State Governments to get things done.”
Amber-Jade Sanderson said: “The surgicentre model has proved successful in other jurisdictions and would be a welcome addition to Western Australia’s world-class public health system.
“Understandably, elective surgeries sometimes have to be rescheduled, but this new facility would create two streams of elective surgery in our eastern suburbs, greatly reducing the need to postpone non-complex surgeries when emergencies occur.”
An Albanese Labor Government will take further steps to build a better Bruce Highway, getting locals home sooner and safer by expanding the highway from six to eight lanes between Anzac Avenue and Uhlmann Road.
Taken together with our already announced $200 million commitment to widen the Highway from Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue, this announcement will deliver significant improvements to freight operators and commuters.
The Bruce Highway is both Queensland’s key freight arterial and the one of the most important commuter corridors, but locals know that this 12.9 kilometre stretch between Mango Hill and South Caboolture is one of the key pinch points slowing traffic and causing delays.
With Brisbane’s north continuing to grow and with the Olympics on the horizon, easing congestion will be so important to protect and enhance the lifestyle Queenslanders enjoy.
That’s why an Albanese Labor Government will partner with the Palaszczuk Government, investing a further $586.4 million to deliver this $733 million upgrade and get trucks and cars moving again.
During construction, this project will support 535 direct jobs and when complete it will deliver time savings, improved safety, greater freight reliability and flood immunity improvements.
Despite the significance of the Bruce Highway, the Morrison Government failed to announce any new construction money in the recent budget, sitting silent as Labor commits to upgrade the road in Brisbane’s north as well as the stretch between Gladstone and Rockhampton.
Only an Albanese Labor Government will partner with the state to deliver the Bruce Highway upgrades that locals really need.
Anthony Albanese said:
“I want to be a Prime Minister who builds things.
“Building better roads means jobs for Queenslanders, increased productivity as people and freight are moved around quicker, and a safer journey for people returning home from work.”
Annastacia Palaszczuk said:
“Queensland isn’t getting its fair share from the Morrison Government.
“The Bruce Highway is the economic artery of Queensland.
“Despite that, the Morrison Government failed to commit any new construction money for the Bruce in their last budget.
“We welcome this boost to the Bruce, which will mean quicker, safer trips between Caboolture and Brisbane, and up to the Sunshine Coast, as we build towards the Olympics.
It’s clear Anthony Albanese gets Queensland and will work together with us to deliver the infrastructure our growing state needs for the future.”
Catherine King said:
“The Bruce Highway is the backbone of Queensland, but under the Morrison Government funding has stalled.
“The Bruce Highway needs more investment and only an Albanese Labor Government can be trusted to deliver it.”
The project will bring new life to the Darby Headphones Courtyard with new street seating, paving, lighting and public art to encourage people to visit, stay and connect. The project will also include the installation of vibrant murals on both the walls and footpaths, celebrating local and upcoming artists in collaboration with local art festivals. A new pedestrian crossing leading to the courtyard will improve accessibility and safety.