Thank you very much for your beautiful welcome to country and thank you for everything you do, for your performance.
We are standing here on land that has been cared for by Indigenous people for 60,000 years and you remind us of one of the most important elements in the work that we do as we invest in infrastructure across Australia and across Queensland. $13 billion is being invested by the federal Government in land transport infrastructure in Queensland, $50 billion across the country. All of that enables us to bring people closer together. Go to work, go to school, go to recreation; it is part of our [inaudible] and has been so for 60,000 years. Here in Australia for us, to congregate together.
We’re rolling out the NBN across Australia and here in Luke Howarth’s electorate in particular. All of that [inaudible] cannot substitute for the humanity of physical proximity, the need to move around our cities. As our cities grow, we need better transport infrastructure they need better rail transport infrastructure. The Mayor and I were talking this morning - I didn’t realise he was so well dressed at the time, I might have stopped off and got changed on the way - but we’ve talked about the way in which this rail link here, this Redcliffe Peninsula Line, is going to enable so much more improved amenity, more development, more affordable housing. It adds to the strength and the growth in this, one of the fastest-growing areas in Australia.
Now it’s wonderful to be here with the Premier. It’s great to be here with two former Labor deputy prime ministers, and my colleague Luke Howarth who I have mentioned, and of course the Minister for Urban Infrastructure. Isn’t it great that at a time when we’ve seen, of course, politicians disagreeing with each other, and I regret that’s probably going to happen, continue, forever as long as there are politicians, isn’t it great that there is such bipartisan support for this infrastructure? Isn’t it great that governments, federal governments across both sides, have committed to this infrastructure? Here we are today, with around 60 per cent of the cost of the project funded by the federal Government, this billion dollar project, and the balance covered by the state government and of course the Moreton Bay Shire.
I want to say that one of the key elements in my Government’s vision for cities, is stronger collaboration between federal government, state government, and local government. All too often in the past – this is a comment that applies to governments of all persuasions- levels of government have been a bit like ships passing in the night. So we are working more closely together with all levels of Government to ensure that we get the best outcome, the best urban outcome, the greatest amenity for the people who live in our cities, from our investment.
So I’m really delighted to be here today. I want to thank, congratulate everybody associated with this project over many years. I want to say to the children, many of whom I have met here today, large and small, or not so large and not so small, I want to say to all of you, this is for you.
When you are as old as Francis, you’ll remember this day. When you’re a day short of your hundredth birthday, kids, you will remember the day you were here when the railway opened. This rail line will be part of your lives, part of the fabric of your community, forever. It will tie this community close together, it will drive the growth and the jobs and the development that you need, the opportunities that you the young people of this community need.
So I’m delighted to be here, congratulations, it’s a wonderful, happy day.
Thank you.
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