LISA CHESTERS: Lisa Chesters, Federal Member for Bendigo, very proud to be here today at Bendigo Heritage Attractions, at Central Deborah Gold Mine. And I'm here today with my good friend, the Minister responsible for this area and this project, the Honourable Catherine King. I'm here today to say this project is on track. This was a commitment that I made at the election. I'm very proud to be standing here today to say that this project is on track. But to talk in more detail about the process and where we're at, I'm going to hand over to our minister who has a very long title, which is Catherine King, Minister for Regional Development, Transport, Local Government and all things regional. 

CATHERINE KING: Thanks, it's really lovely to be here in Bendigo today with my good friend and colleague, Lisa Chesters. It's a little while since I've been to the Central Deborah Gold Mine, but what a great asset you've got here. Telling the story of the Central Goldfields really, and what the history of gold mining was in this region. I'm from Ballarat, that's my hometown, and you look at what actually gold did, and the story of gold in this region and district, it's really incredibly important. The amount of people who came from overseas to mine here and find their fortune. The opportunities it provided to develop regional cities, the beautiful built infrastructure you see here in Bendigo largely was funded out of the ground, came out of the ground here and to be able to build that.

So really delighted to be here today to have a bit of a look at the Council's plans for the $2.9 million that we committed to in the 2025 election campaign. It feels like it was a while ago but we're in our six months now bringing that forward. The council's now putting in its application and all of the detailed design work for this project. It's going to do that by the 1 December, and then in its essence what we'll be doing from there is assessing that project and then that money will be delivered. So great to be actually able to be here to see in person what it is that we're actually delivering here in this community.

Tourism is incredibly important. We know that being able to tell the story and to be able to tell the story of tourism in our region and to grow tourism numbers really is important for regional economies. This is a great tourist attraction, but also very much is part of telling the story of gold in our region. We know that all of the councils in the region have joined together for the UNESCO bid for World Heritage Listing of our goldfield sites to be able to really, again, have that embedded, deep story about what gold has done for this region. And it's linked not just to the region but also to the rest of the world and gold mining in other parts.

So really delighted to be here, upgraded cafe, upgraded visitor experience. You're going to rival Sovereign Hill, so I'm told, which as I’m from Ballarat we're always a bit wary of. You'll actually have a gold panning experience here, which I know is great for kids and a great activity. I'm going to hand over to James from the Heritage Centre to explain a little bit more about this project and then I'm happy to take some questions.

JAMES READE: Thank you Minister and thank you Lisa Chesters as well. Just over six months ago we were here with the Deputy Prime Minister announcing this, Lisa, and it's been a very busy six months in that time. So, the project here as the Minister mentioned is an investment in critical infrastructure for this site. The Central Deborah Gold Mine tells a really important story about gold in Bendigo, and tells the story about the gold rush and the investment in Bendigo. It also allows us to tell the story about showcasing our region and bringing people to our region to experience our whole region as a whole as well.

The investment here includes things like critical infrastructure, so upgraded important things like bathroom facilities for our visitors, a way better retail space for us and also a local cafe investment here into the site as well, which is really important for us around our local engagement here on the site from our local community perspective as well.

The Minister mentioned Ballarat, and I’m remiss to remind the Minister that Bendigo found three times more gold than Ballarat.

CATHERINE KING: Not that there's a rivalry between our two great cities at all!

JAMES READE: Definitely not, Minister. But we're actually really happy to be put in the same category as Sovereign Hill, an award-winning attraction. We have a similar experience here, and this investment allows us to take that experience to greater levels as well. Thank you, Lisa, for your work and advocacy in the project. It's been phenomenal. The project currently is in our planning permit stage, so we're going through that. We're hopefully a couple of months away from finalising that. We're ready for detailed design, and as the Minister mentioned, once the fund is released we're ready to go through the tender process as well. So I'm hoping this time in 18 months’ time we'll be standing here with a well and truly refurbished Central Deborah Visitor Experience on site as well.

JOURNALIST: James, it was an election commitment. How does it feel now to know that the funding is, you know, secured and redevelopment will happen?

JAMES READE: Oh, it's really- it's a really nice feeling. You know, we're all proud Bendigonians. We love what we do and, you know, these kind of sites, particularly old heritage sites, need continued investment. So to have that process and working with Lisa through the election commitment to stand here today, again reaffirming that commitment is really exciting. So we're nearly there, I'll be very excited once we turn the first sod in the ground, might find some gold as we do that hopefully for the stage two part of the project, but it's really nice that we can continue to invest in heritage assets.

JOURNALIST: What's the timeline? When are you hoping to do the sod turn for stage one?

JAMES READE: So we’re in the planning permit process at the moment, so we're in consultation phase for that. So just depending on the outcomes of that planning process. I'm hoping again in the next 18 months we're back here cutting some ribbons to officially open it.

JOURNALIST: And is there any projections for these redevelopments to have more tourists in town? Do you have any of those stats?

JAMES READE: Yeah, well and truly. So part of our work around building our masterplan and the business case for this was around economic modelling. We know that the investment in this site and the whole masterplan of this site is going to double our visitations to our site. Currently, Bendigo Heritage generates over $33 million of economic activity per year, and we create over 170 jobs in our Bendigo economy each year as well. So there's so much flow on effects around the economic impacts that tourism has, particularly a site like Central Deborah.

JOURNALIST: You were just talking about the 18-month timeline. So that's stage one, and how many following stages are there for the redevelopment site?

JAMES READE: So our total masterplan for the site is a $10 million masterplan. So there's a pretty significant investment from the Federal Government to kick us off with that master plan. That masterplan is made up of 16 smaller projects within that. This kicks off a good chunk of them. So heading into a state election year, we'll be well and truly getting our advocacy ready for future funding. I'm sure [indistinct] Greater Bendigo also contributing 700,000 to stage one is part of this project as well. So a great kind of collaboration between a not-for-profit organisation, local government and the Federal Government as well.

JOURNALIST: This project, stage one, is with council at the moment. Do we have a timeline or anything of when it might be approved? Any from council or yourself?

JAMES READE: I can't speak on council's behalf, but there's a clear statutory program that has to be followed so we're out for consultation, and it depends on what comes back from a consultation perspective around that timeline.

JOURNALIST: Yeah, Minister you spoke at the Capital Theatre this morning. You made a few announcements for Roads to Recovery I believe. Can you tell me about that?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, so I'm here ostensibly in Bendigo for the Australian Local Government Association's Roads Congress, and that's for 250 people, mayors, councillors and executive officers from right the way across the country here to Bendigo, adding to your tourism as well. I was here talking about how the Albanese Labor Government has doubled road funding to local councils. Under the previous government, it was $500 million, we've now doubled that. It's increasing each and every year to get it to $1 billion a year. We absolutely understood that what was important for councils is that long-term certainty. They don't have to come begging to us each year to extend one-off programs. This is built into the federal budget's Infrastructure Investment Program. It is permanent - $1 billion a year going to local governments to be able to fund roads. They make the decisions about what roads are funded and when they're going to do that. It provides that long-term certainty for council for your capital works programs on roads. And that's been a game changer for councils. I've had councils across the country say that they've actually for the first time met their road maintenance targets, they've actually been able to invest in new resilience programs that they haven't been able to do before, and that they've actually been able to ensure in some communities that their road crews have got long-term certainty about their jobs as well. So that investment into local government roads has been really significant.

We've also increased the amount of Black Spots road funding. Again, Lisa played a really important role in the previous government helping the Victorian assessments of that project, but we've increased funding for that to $150 million a year, trying to encourage councils to put their applications in for that road safety treatment. And also, we’ve introduced a new program which combines the bridges renewal program and the heavy vehicle productivity program, added more money into that because we want those bigger projects that councils are struggling with, for councils to partner directly with the Federal Government to build some of those. So really talking about those really significant investments that the Albanese Labor Government is making in our local roads that we know people go on each and every single day.

JOURNALIST: I mean, so you're from Victoria. You'd know how many pot holes we have, and I think it's across the country as well, especially in areas that did flood [indistinct] rain in 2022. When do you think that recovery will, when the roads will be up to scratch?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, so the 2022 year, water and roads do not mix. That really has eroded substantially the road base. But I can tell you one of the things that didn't help was back in 2013/14, the previous government froze the indexation for road maintenance funding for our National Highway Network. That was frozen in 2013/14, effectively cutting road maintenance funding. When we came to government, as well as increasing money to local councils for Roads to Recovery, we've also re-indexed the road maintenance funding and I've backdated it so that state and territory governments could have that money, and again, that long term certainty built into the budget that they could actually start to maintain their roads properly. That's been really important.

The previous government also froze what we call the financial assistance grants to local councils that cut almost a billion dollars out of local government. Now, that doesn't help. What we've been trying to do is catch up and really try and make sure from the Federal Government's point of view we're investing more in local roads, investing more in councils so we can get that road maintenance program, those road maintenance projects really up and running from the Federal Government's perspective.

JOURNALIST: Local councils have often called for 1 per cent of GST revenue. How does that figure that you just spoke about, how does that work?

CATHERINE KING: Yes, so one of the things we've done in the House of Representatives, they started an inquiry that was initiated by the Labor Government to look at financial sustainability for local councils as part of that. And part of that, and we have just announced recently in the last week or so, that inquiry will recommence. And councils have, I think, until February to put in and update their submissions to that. Part of what we want to do is get a real handle on how much federal money is currently going to local councils. So from financial assistance grants, that's around $3.4 billion. We've got Roads to Recovery, the billion dollars. There are projects right the way across, I think we're delivering over a billion dollars in community infrastructure, so projects like the Central Goldfields Mine here behind us, those are really important investments. So one of the tasks of the inquiry is to get a real handle on what Federal Government money is currently going to local government and then what can we do to assist. But what I know absolutely is coming, having that long term certainty that we've done through the Roads to Recovery program is really significant because it's that that local councils need, rather than having to come begging each year to say can you give us more roads funding.

JOURNALIST: I have a question from Rockhampton, I’ll just read it out.

CATHERINE KING: Okay. From one gold mining area to sort of another as well. And also the beef capital of Australia.

JOURNALIST: I didn't know that. That's great.

CATHERINE KING: Well, you should know that. It's a very important beef capital of Australia.

JOURNALIST: Rockhampton Regional Council is proposing that the $23 million that would have gone to the now scrapped Rocky Sports Club stadium should be invested into the Rockhampton Sports Precinct to provide a space for local rugby league. What's your take on that solution, and will you consider it?

CATHERINE KING: So we inherited a range of legacy grants from the previous government, community development grants, some of them dating back to 2013 that were for a range of reasons not being delivered. The Rockhampton Stadium got an extension back in 2022 to try and allow it to actually come to fruition. Unfortunately they have not been able to do that again for a raft of reasons, and the program is now closing. What I can't do though is then just reallocate that money to within the town to another project. That's unfair to communities like this, here in Bendigo, that are applying for funding all the time. There is a lot of need for community infrastructure. I know communities would like to be able to keep money within their own communities when we're not able to proceed with projects. But really, in terms of making it fair across regional Australia so that people can apply for shovel ready projects, not projects that might be ready in five or six years’ time, shovel ready projects we're actually able to get that delivered and out the door, and that's done on an application process. I'm sure the Rockhampton Council will, if there's a budget permitting further rounds of regional grants programs that I'm sure that they will absolutely apply for. But they need to also be ready for the [indistinct] for that application to proceed.

JOURNALIST: Minister, I’ve got a few more questions about regional transport infrastructure. So Infrastructure Victoria just released their 30-year strategy this week. They really recommended highlighting priority investment in cycling networks in your electorate, here in Bendigo and Geelong. Is that something you're really investing in?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Well, look, I'm really proud in our last term in office – we put $100 million into active transport. So cycling pathways, really trying to put that investment in. The last time we actually had a significant investment into active cycleways was when Prime Minister Albanese held this portfolio, so it is something that is dear to both our hearts. We'll look in the next upcoming Budget to see whether we have further rounds of that funding, but I'm really proud of the investment we've made. It has made a significant difference. You can see in those communities where they were successful with funding, it really is making a significant difference. This is about getting people to and from work, to and from schools safely. It's about active transport, and again been an important part of the delivery that we've had as a government to increase the capacity of people to move around in their great cities.

JOURNALIST: The figure that they're eyeing off is $620 million. Do you think they'll get that in the federal budget?

CATHERINE KING: Again, I'm not going to pre-empt the Budget. But certainly, the $100 million we did put into active transport – obviously state and local governments have their own programs, and some of the road funding programs you've already seen as new roads are being built or roads are being expanded, they're taking the opportunity to build cycleways alongside those new roads. So, there is lots of money coming in through that way. But certainly, I was very proud that we put the single largest contribution of any federal government into active transport, and we'll have more to say in the upcoming Budget.

JOURNALIST: The Federal Government also announced $5 million for regional airports affected by Rex. Obviously, that's been big news. But the Albury City Council revealed they were owed nearly a million dollars from Virgin, Bonza and JetGo. Will you support, I guess, helping those debts for those other airlines?

CATHERINE KING: So what we've done is, separate to the finalisation of the administration of Rex Airlines, something that this government was very determined to see Rex survive. What we've done because of that careful, considered, deliberative approach was to make sure we kept Rex flying, customers able to still be able to rely on that service, but also get our way out of the administration. We now saw yesterday, Air T, the creditors now accept the offer that Air T has made to take over Rex Airlines, and now that transition will occur.

Separately to that, I was absolutely cognisant that there were a number of regional airports that were owed money by Rex that really had come to the party, had not tried to seek to get money more quickly, had really worked pretty closely with the administrators and kept Rex flying into their airports. To ensure that they can continue to do so, what we've done is created a $5 million fund. It will be based on the creditors to Rex Airlines when they went into administration. Any other debts that are owed by other airlines or other previous airlines really is a matter for either the administrators or the airlines that are currently operating those. This is really about the debts that were left as legacy debts from Rex going into administration, and trying to acknowledge that.

JOURNALIST: And just on the routes, will the Federal Government get guarantee from the new administrator that the current routes will continue?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, so certainly what the focus of Air T is, is to make sure the business is back in sustainability. They need to stabilise the business, and that's really important. And what they have done is said that on those essential routes, they'll continue that. Because they are operators of Saab aircraft, it also means they have access to substantial numbers of parts for Saab aircraft, and what that means is they have undertaken to bring more aircraft into the network, and that allows that long-term sustainability of both Rex Airlines and also the routes that they're going on. They are in it for the long haul, which is good to see. They're not just in it to sell, they want to make Rex profitable again, and that's been really the focus of the Federal Government to make sure this regional airline survives because it's too important to our regional communities to allow it to fail. And I'm really pleased that deliberate, careful, sustained approach has really played a role. I think that’s it. Thank you.