PM: Well it's good to be here at Port Botany. And this is Australia's second largest container port, and this is vital to the Australia's future export performance.
This Government is on about nation building and part of nation building means supporting our exports for the future.
This is a first class port and they are in the process of doubling their capacity, virtually doubling it by 2011.
And that means that we're going to have a huge new significance attached to this port when it comes to Australia exporting its goods to the rest of the world.
But having a good port and a bigger port is one thing. You need an effective national rail freight network to support that port at the same time.
So through our nation building program, we are supporting a rail freight network which makes ports like this better able to do their job for the Australian economy.
The $1.2 billion investment that we've announced for the Australian rail freight network is designed to make ports like this more efficient and more effective in getting Australian goods to the rest of the world. That's what it's all about.
We do that more effectively and more efficiently, we're generating more jobs for Australia. That's what it's all about as well.
You know, the $1.2 billion announced yesterday, in terms of the Australian rail freight network, will improve efficiency and effectiveness across many lines across the country.
The objective is this - to make sure that goods get to port quicker, get there cheaper, get there more efficiently, so that when we sell those goods to the rest of the world, we are more price competitive. That's what it's all about.
At a time of global financial crisis, one of our key challenges is to boost Australia's exports. That means therefore having the most efficient ports in the world, it means also making sure that we've got the most efficient rail freight network supporting these ports as well.
That's what this nation building agenda is all about.
The second point is this, by expanding the rail freight network and supporting it, port expansion like we see here at Port Botany, we're also adding to Australian jobs.
Australian jobs are crucial to the future. The global financial crisis has going to create real pressures on Australian employment and unemployment in 2009.
This Government is determined to take whatever action is necessary to support investment in infrastructure, to generate jobs in the shorter term and to build critical infrastructure for our economy for the longer term. That's what is all this about.
And the package that we've announced is capable of generating some 32,000 jobs, and in addition to what we intend to announce by way of further infrastructure statement next year, this will represent a positive injection into the national economy, the economy of New South Wales, and here at this important container port here in Sydney.
Minister, you wish to add.
ALBANESE: Yesterday's announcement was of course the biggest rail announcement in Australia's history since Federation. $1.2 billion injected into the Australian Rail Track Corporation, and we can see the benefit in practice just behind us here, where the southern Sydney freight line, together with the work that's taking place at the Enfield terminal, will make a huge difference.
Now this is important not just for productivity and for freight, also if you take containers onto rail and off trucks, you make a difference in terms of commuter transport whether it be on rail or on roads, throughout our cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Now yesterday's announcement will take one hour off the Sydney - Perth route, and half an hour off the Melbourne - Brisbane route.
This is a major investment and it's notable that the Rudd Government is committing more in our first two years into rail than were committed by the previous Government under its 12 years in office.
PM: Finally can I just say this, nation building is about building an effective national rail freight network. That's important to the economy now, important for jobs of the future.
This Government is determined to invest more in Australia's rail freight capacity into the future.
We're going to make sure that we've got world class rail freight network. World class port facilities. And to ensure that we do our bit to boost the economy in what's going to be a very challenging year ahead.
Over to you folks:
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Let me say one or two things before I turn to the Minister.
Firstly, a challenge is to make sure that we have as much dedicated rail freight lines as possible in order to take pressure of the commuter network, that's the first thing.
The second is, through other work which may be possible in the future, to ensure that you've got a road network which has got as much dedicated capacity or dedicated road freight purposes as well.
The overall purpose is this - to take as much pressure off big, important cities like Sydney in terms of the legitimate needs of commuters.
The second point I would make is this. I indicated that we have a further statement to make on infrastructure in the early part of next year.
And Infrastructure Australia and its advisory board is working its way through a whole range of proposals from governments right across Australia, on further infrastructure in transport area, including those affecting commuter transport as well.
This is a process which we've gone through methodically, calmly, rigorously, but this Government is determined to invest long term, for rail freight, but also for broader transport needs for the nation, including the good people of Sydney.
ALBANESE: Infrastructure Australia was created to make sure that the Government got independent advice. That it got advice based upon the contribution which particular projects could make to national productivity, but also taking into consideration social and environmental needs.
Infrastructure Australia met once again yesterday in Melbourne to continue the work it is conducting. And they will be, along with the Government, releasing prior to the end of the year the infrastructure audit which is taking place as well as the interim priorities list which is being taken down from the more than 1,000 submissions for projects that they had.
Now it is important in terms of the long term, that when we make this statement next year, we will certainly be giving consideration to that.
This statement yesterday was all about what we can do for projects that are ready to go right now in the next 18 months, to assist, give an economic boost given the global financial crisis.
But as for the longer term projects including projects looking at commuter transport issues, that will be a matter for the deliberations of Infrastructure Australia and for further announcements next year.
So I make this point, the previous Government didn't spend one cent on urban transport. Indeed they argued that it was not the role of the Commonwealth to even give consideration to urban transport, whether it be rail or bus transport.
This Government has re-engaged with the cities. We've established the major cities unit based in Sydney as part of Infrastructure Australia, and we want to work with state and territory governments around the country to address these issues.
JOURNALIST: How will the infrastructure investment specifically help Port Botany?
PM: Let me put it in these terms. Here you have a port which has got an expansion program underway which I'm advised this morning will be concluded some time in 2011. A doubling in effect, almost the container through put at Port Botany.
What the Australian Government has done is to take control of the rail freight network which services this port.
Over here, as late as, as recently as last week, we had the ARTC, the Australia Rail Track Corporation, take control over the holding yards here at Port Botany.
Secondly, the ARTC is in the business of extending the rail freight line from Enfield to Moorebank.
Thirdly, there are further increments to be added to that expansion as well.
And fourthly, the rest of the upgrades to the rail system across regional Australia, but feeding into the Port of Botany, which were announced by the Minister yesterday, add to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the rail freight network, which gets goods to this port quicker, cheaper, and therefore better for exports.
So every part relates for the whole and that's why our job in partnership with Port Botany and other major container ports in the country, is to make sure that we've got the best Australian rail freight network possible to service the needs of our export market.
ALBANESE: If I could just add one thing also is that yesterday's announcement wasn't just about new infrastructure, it was also about using existing infrastructure better.
And a major part of the announcement was $45 million for the Australian Rail Track Corporation for their $90 million trial using GPS technology, rather than the existing manual signalling system.
Now it's estimated that that could, by reducing the gap between trains, increase productivity and efficiency by some 45 per cent, using existing infrastructure but using it much better.
And that is one of the major parts of yesterday's announcement. I think we need to always look towards how we can use existing infrastructure as well as building new infrastructure.
PM: Just to add more broadly to that, when the history of this Government is eventually written, whenever that might be, we want it to be known as a government of nation building.
A government which for the first time, in a long, long time in the history of the Commonwealth, saw its responsibilities as also centrally investing in the nation's future infrastructure needs.
Our predecessor explicitly rejected that role.
We embrace that role. It's necessary for the economy for the long term. Necessary for other long suffering Australians who are using our commuter networks and our road networks within large metropolitan centres. But it's necessary for jobs and stimulus in the shorter term as well.
Anything else? We'll head off. Thanks very much.
JOURNALIST: Just one more - what's your reaction to the backflip of the Liberals on IR today?
PM: Well, less than 12 months ago, Mr Turnbull said that WorkChoices was the most important reform to industrial relations in the history of Australia.
Then less than 12 months later, he says that he is now completely opposed to WorkChoices.
I'll let the Australian people work out which is the real Malcolm Turnbull, and will the Malcolm Turnbull please stand up?
Thank you.