‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS: secretive speed limit consultation, regional roads, Local Roads and Community Infrastructure funding program, Halloween

SEAL

The Coalition has locked in additional time on a plan to slash speed limits down to 70 kilometres an hour on regional roads. Well, for more, joining us live is the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Dr Anne Webster. Great to see you. Thank you so much for joining us. So, for viewers who might not be aware of this, can you talk us through it? And is it all regional roads?

WEBSTER

So, Jaynie, what's happened is that the Labor government had started a consultation 4 weeks ago with no press or no information to the public and open consultation … but you don't tell anyone it's happening. That's a problem, and it is despite the consultation specifically looking at reducing default road speed limits on roads which are not signposted. There are a lot of those across regional Australia and they're looking at reducing it from 100, which it currently is as a default speed limit, to 70 kilometres an hour potentially. So, what's very interesting about this is that we called out the Labor government for not making it public and that it actually closed on Monday this week and we called for an extension, which they have now done, despite Kristy McBain stating that it happened 2 weeks ago. Well, that's not so. And the extension also was not made public. It just happened to change on the departmental website. I think what's really concerning here, Jaynie, is that the aims, if you like, the benefits that this particular consultation is looking for is to reduce fatalities, which of course nobody is going to disagree with. We all want to see fatalities on our roads decrease. They want to see fuel consumption decrease. I didn't know they cared. And thirdly, they want to see emissions reduction. I can see Chris Bowen's fingers all over this. This is a government that is all about trick and no treat.

SEAL

We do have a little bit of a grab from the Emergency, Management Minister Kristy McBain from yesterday's show, and it was a little bit about lazy politics. Is a bit of a grab to play you.

McBAIN

What I think is quite lazy politics is politicians spruiking lines like that. Unfortunately, this is a priority action of a previous road safety plan, a plan that was implemented by the former Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. A Nationals member himself. So lazy politics is not understanding where the action plan came from.

SEAL

What would you say to those comments, Anne?

WEBSTER

I would say that I've spoken with Michael McCormack. 2018 was when he opened the concept of a consultation. He didn't go ahead with it because it's not good policy and when you look at the state of regional roads and the lack of funding that this government has failed to put into our regional roads and the state of disrepair that every regional Australian is living with, that is where the danger is. So, the focus needs to be on repairing the roads and ensuring that regional people can get from A to B, take their kids to sport and to school and do the shopping, go to a health appointment, freight trucks can get from farm to port or to market without having to slow down 70 kilometres an hour because this is ultimately going to impact productivity as well. This government appears to not pay any attention to it. I do note today, Jaynie, that it is Halloween, apparently, and I have the feeling that this was actually - this consultation and the approach that the government has taken - was taken at Witching Hour.

SEAL

Well, OK, you've got that extension. What else can be done? I mean we hear about potholes, we hear about the dangerous conditions. Where will the money come from to fix the roads? In your opinion, where can it come from?

WEBSTER

Well, the funding needs to be reinstated, in my view, for Local Roads and Community Infrastructure. That was funding that councils absolutely love because it was untied and uncontested, so they didn't have to compete with big metropolitan councils and Labor, of course … it was an 80:20 principle from our side, so Coalition said we'll provide the 80 per cent of funding, you find the 20, which of course they could go to the state government or develop themselves if they happen to have the ability to raise revenue. What the government has done is made it 50:50 - a small regional rouncil, say, that is very, very difficult and people need to understand that regional, actually all councils have responsibility for 77 per cent of the roads and the road networks across Australia. So it's an enormous, enormous cost and extremely difficult for small regional councils to actually find them funds for. So, Labor are not assisting them. They've removed LRCI, the Local Roads Community Infrastructure program. While they do say that they've increased the funding to Roads to Recovery, they've also slashed funding on roads. So, you know that we had plenty of other funds, including Building Better Regions, which was so much better for the ability of councils, in particular to spend funds on, you know, new roundabouts or new intersections. And yeah, it's just not been aided by this government at all.

SEAL

Well, it sounds to me it you prefer more treats than tricks. Dr Anne Webster?

WEBSTER

Absolutely. Being Halloween, we've got to you know, lighten it up.

SEAL

You had that Halloween theme before, so, yes, plenty more treats and no more tricks. Thank you so much.

WEBSTER

That's right. Thank you.

SEAL

Alright, thank you.

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