joint statement by the Prime Minister, the
Hon P J Keating MP and -the Minister for Land
Transport, the Hon Bob Brown MP.
TWO BILLION DOLLARS FOR AUSTRALIA'S
ROADS WILL EMPLOY 50 000 PEOPLE
Funding from the Federal Government's One Nation spending pa ckage for Australia's
roads began to flow today. The $ 600 millon out-lay will generate 15 ooR
The additional funding from One Nation will boost total Federal Government spending
on land transport this financial year to $ 2 billion. The program will prrieemployment
for 50 000 people.
Overall, the Commonwealth will spend about $ 6 million a day on Australian roads in
1992-93.
To emphasise the effects of the package on regional Australia, details of the spending
were unveiled in Gladstone today by the Prime Minister, Paul Keating and Federal Land
Transport Minister, Bob Brown.
Mr Keating and Mr Brown said the Commonwealth roads spending, including the One
Nation money would be targeted at rural areas and roads carrying primary produce,
minerals and components for manufacturing to ports and railheads. In the cities, priority
would be given to ring roads, -routes carrying commercial traffic, access to ports and
roads serving freight distribution centres.
" The Commonwealth will contribute S39 million to the joint government upgrading of the
Pacific Highway in New South Wales, while $ 138 million has been set aside for-works
on two new National Hhwy links-from Adelaide to Sydney and from Melbourne to
Brisbane. This will increase the length of the National Highway to more than
18 400 km.
' More than $ 370 million of the total will be spent on a maintenance program for the
National Highway System linking all state capitals and major provincial centrs. 835
2-
This essential maintenance will provide work to road gangs in widely dispersed regions
throughout the counuy. Additional employment opportunities will be created', Mr
Keating and Mr Brown said.
They said the land transport spending was directed at meeting the needs of the transport
industry and at increasing Australia's international competivenss through improved
roads and reduced travelling times.
' Because transport accounts for about seven per cent of the total value of goods and
services in Australia today, even small gains in road transport efficiency will be reflected
directly in a more dynamic economy', they said.
' The importance of achieving these savings is underscored by the fact that the Federal
Government will spend more than $ 6 billion on road and rail infrastructure
improvements during the next few years'.
Mr Keating and Mr Brown said the $ 2 billion allocation for 1992-93 represented the
largest ever annual land transport budget ever committed by a Federal Government in the
post-war era.
' The program was fully costed and has been taken into account when framing the Budget
estimates. Normally, the Federal land transport budget is not known until the Budget is
brought down.
' By revealing the extent of the roads program spending now, states, territories and
councils will be able to proceed confidently with large projects that would otherwise
have remained on the back-burner until after the Budget in August', Mr Keating and Mr
Brown said.
The package approved today does not include One Nation spending on rail.
Mr Keating is expected to announce details of Federal funding for a national rail network
soon. Gladstone July 30, 1992
FEDERAL LAND TRANSPORT PROGRAM, 1992-93: STATE ALLOCATIONS
NSW VIC OLD WA SA TAS NT ACT
$ 574m $ 345ri $ 374m $ 161m $ 107m $ 56.3m $ 46m $ 2.6m
( Excludes $ 350 millon pai as Financk AssisanceO Grants to councis and to Soe and
Ternitory Governments for spending on local roads.)
836
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAND TRANSPORT
PROGRAM AND ONE NATION SPENDING
1992-93
S5$ 46.2m
S1 $ 373.7m
$ 161.2m $ 106.6m I 5737m
Excludes grants to councils and States
for local roads 0 s $ 345.2
c s$ 56.3m