DAVID DOWSETT [HOST]: Road black spots and recovery from the floods. Labor Senator for Queensland and Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Anthony Chisholm, has been in Bundaberg. So, what’s the details on the black spots and what assistance can the federal government bring to the flood recovery and prevention of future floods? Anthony Chisholm, good morning.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: David, good to be with you and your listeners. 

DOWSETT: Good to have you. So, tell us about your reason for your visit in Bundaberg. 

CHISHOLM: This is the first opportunity I’ve had to come up post the floods. So I know Minister McBain was here post the floods, but it was an opportunity for me to come up and meet with the mayor and just get a briefing on how the recovery is going, but also the opportunity to announce support through the Black Spot funding program for six local projects that will help improve safety on roads around the Bundaberg region. So, a good news story that will help improve the outcomes for local residents and we’re pleased to work with the council to deliver on those six projects.

DOWSETT: All right, we’ll touch on the floods soon and the recovery process, but what about to those black spots? Where are they exactly?

CHISHOLM: So, there’s six in the Bundaberg region. So I was just with the Mayor at Woongarra and Bingera Street where there’s going to be a roundabout and pedestrian crossing put in, and I got to see the parking and that it is a visibility problem there. There has been a number of accidents in that area over the last couple of years, so a roundabout and pedestrian crossing will help improve safety there. The rail crossing at Three Chain Road and Dahls Road - I understand that that’s an important one for the local community, so that will see widening, signage and a speed limit reduction as well. Feldt Street and Mimnagh Street intersection at Norville, that will see a roundabout and pedestrian crossing. Sims Road at Walkervale will see a pedestrian crossing and improved line marking and traffic calming. George Street and Wallace Street intersection at Bundaberg South will see a zebra crossing there, which will help improve safety, and then Bourbong Street near Takalvan and Burkitt Street, we’ll see a new pedestrian crossing there and fencing as well. So, a number of projects, $3 million all up, that the council will have to deliver on. And they’ve undertaken to do that work over the next two years, so these are projects that people will hopefully see start happening soon.

DOWSETT: So, zoning in on these black spots, has that proven to be successful in the past?

CHISHOLM: It has because the beauty of this program is it’s driven by local residents and council. They have criteria that they’ve got to meet, and unfortunately some of that is what we’ve seen with the project at Woongarra Street and Bingera, is that there has been accidents that have been documented and hospitalisations as a result, so it’s clear from the evidence that these are projects that are going to make a difference to safety in the local region. We know that Bundaberg is a growth area and that there are more people here, there are more cars on the road. So these investments from the federal government are important, but it comes with data from council and the advocacy of local residents so that we know that these projects will make a difference.

DOWSETT: Okay. So on to the flood recovery and you’ll be getting some feedback on that. What have you uncovered?

CHISHOLM: Obviously, flooding is not new to Bundaberg, and as someone who’s been a regular visitor here since I’ve been in the Senate and seen the impact on it, I know that it doesn’t necessarily make it easier. I would like to think that the response of federal and state governments is getting better as we get more experienced, and the mayor said that there was a good, constructive working relationship with the federal government and Minister McBain to ensure that we were getting latest information and providing the support that we could when necessary. I think that has all gone as well as it can, but we still acknowledge that there’s impacts for those residents and businesses that have been impacted at the same time. So, we want to ensure that we’re here on the ground, we’re listening and learning, but we also want to ensure we’re doing what we can to prevent these things from happening in the future.

DOWSETT: When it comes to funding, there was the initial involvement from the federal government, but are there plans for ongoing support for those impacted?

CHISHOLM: So, there’s obviously the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements that have been activated in Bundaberg. Those impacted in Bundaberg have been eligible for that. And the best place to go, which I’m sure you’re aware of, David, but is the Services Australia website to see if you’re eligible. But obviously we want to ensure that we’re working constructively with council and the state into the future. There’s obviously money that we’ve had available when it comes to the flood levy as well. So, we’ll continue to work with council and state government at the same time to ensure that we get our response to these things right.

DOWSETT: As you said before, we really want to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. What’s the federal take on that? What’s the federal thinking behind how to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

CHISHOLM: Well, I don’t think that’s really for me to come in here and dictate to the local community about what that solution is, but obviously, federally, we’ve had money on the table in regards to the levy for Bundaberg East, and that money is still there. And we want to work constructively with the state and council to ensure that we get that response right. So that’s part of being up here, being able to listen. Minister McBain said a similar thing when she was here a month ago. We stand ready to do that, and we’d be awaiting approaches from the council and state as to how we best do that.

DOWSETT: Anthony Chisholm, appreciate your time this morning. Thanks very much.

CHISHOLM: Thanks, David. Good to be with you.