Transcript - Interview with ABC Afternoon Briefing with Greg Jennett

GREG JENNETT: Tens of millions of dollars are being promised around the country for regional infrastructure work today, some of it for road safety, some to deal with inadequate bridges in towns large and small. Territories and Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain joins us live from Whyalla now in South Australia, with the steelworks in the background. That is an impressive expanse of iron-rich dirt behind you there, Kristy. You are windblown, but definitely not wiped out so far. Tell us a bit about these million-dollar grants that are being spread out across the country. Tens of millions, in fact. They fall into two categories. What's being delivered?

KRISTY MCBAIN: Thanks, Greg. Great to join you from Whyalla, where it is a bit of a wind wipe-out, but there's going to be no singing. 

$45 million coming to communities across regional and rural Australia for bridges renewal and for heavy vehicle freight and productivity. I've been in South Australia the last couple of days. Not far from here, the District Council of Mount Remarkable received $3.2 million for bridge upgrades for two bridges, which will help get barley off the farms and into our major markets, as well as to our export market. We've had Bridges Renewal projects from Gladstone to Port Hedland, and those Heavy Vehicle Freight Productivity projects as well, right across the country. $45 million going to a bunch of regional and rural areas today.

JENNETT: I understand delivery times, construction times will differ from project to project, but is there a commonality across these? When might they all be finished by? Is that specified?

MCBAIN: That's right. Construction timeframes will differ for start dates for all of these projects, but we're looking to have those projects wrapped up by 2025. Really important work happening across the regional areas. Speaking to the Mount Remarkable Council today, these projects have been long in the waiting. The planning and design work has been done. They are getting, for example, structural steel upgrades to make sure that those bridges last for many years to come. Double-lane width concrete bridges, which are replacing single-lane bridges in many cases. 

Projects like this absolutely need Federal Government funding, because a lot of our regional and rural councils just don't have the ability to raise their own revenue. These roads are critically important as transport links, not only for our tourists, but for our locals to make sure that their farm ventures can actually make the money that they need by getting produce to the market.

JENNETT: I'm sure that is under-appreciated by many city folk, but conversely, greatly appreciated by those in the affected regions that are getting allocated some projects today.  Can I take you, Kristy, to some other areas wearing your Territories Minister hat. Of course, in the Northern Territory, Alice Springs’ CBD area remains under youth curfew.  Are you being consulted by the Northern Territory Government in its deliberations about whether that should be ongoing beyond about the middle of next week?

MCBAIN: As a self-governing territory, no, they don't consult me on their plans around central Australia. Having said that, I've been with Marion Scrymgour, the Member for Lingiari in Alice Springs last year, speaking with local small businesses. Speaking with communities, especially the Alice Springs Council and some of the more remote councils that are set up at Alice Springs. Some of the things that they are asking for, and I know Marion's a tireless advocate in this space, are things like making sure that we are putting more money towards schools. The announcement of $40.6 million going to schools across central Australia will be one where we are looking at engaging people at a young age to reach their full potential. 

We know there's $18 million in capital works going to building new boarding school houses, as well as upgrading some existing boarding school houses. Really engaging children through the education system is going to be vital. It's clear to me that the curfew will be a great circuit breaker. It's not going to be a long-term solution. That's why it's so important to make sure that the Central Australia plan, through the $250 million that the Albanese Labor Government is investing, is getting to the right places that need it. I know that Malarndirri McCarthy will be in Alice Springs in the coming days to talk to Indigenous Elders about how we can make sure that money is best spent.

JENNETT: Yes, she will. And since you mentioned Marion Scrymgour, I know she has vowed to keep a very watchful eye on the rollout of the $250 million in Alice, just to make sure that it goes where it can be most effective. Final one, again in the territories, Kristy. We've been talking to Don Farrell, Malarndirri McCarthy and others about electoral reform. It looks like the Special Minister of State hopes to progress, will progress sometime this year with a package possibly included in that will be an expansion of the number of senators for the two territories. Just remind us your position on that, if and when Don Farrell goes ahead with it.

MCBAIN: It's clear that we've seen population growing, particularly in the ACT. At the moment, they've got roughly a similar size population as Tasmania, but only have representative two Senators in the Senate. Whereas, Tasmania has twelve. There are some inconsistencies there. I know that after every election, the Standing Committee on Electoral Matters comes together and puts together a range of recommendations. Making sure that we actually get the balance right is really important.

In the last term of Parliament, there was a bipartisan approach to make sure that Northern Territory didn't lose the representation of one Senator, which would have meant that they only had one Senator representing them in Parliament. It's incredibly important that you strike the right balance here, but it's also a bipartisan approach. You want to see the territories adequately represented, making sure that they get their points and views across in the Senate as well.

JENNETT: So, and is your sense, Kristy, just to interrupt, because time will be up on us very shortly. Is it your sense that, you know, a basic level of bipartisanship, at least in concept, is there for a territorial Senate expansion?

MCBAIN: I would hope so. It is pretty clear that the population has been growing and that Standing Committee obviously has representation from all sides of politics. Those recommendations came forward and they now sit with Don Farrell.

JENNETT: All right. We'll await developments with him.

MCBAIN: Greg, just before I go, I just wanted to briefly say, on behalf of the electorate of Eden-Monaro, I want to extend my condolences to the family of Zomi Frankcom. She actually came to our community following the Black Summer bushfires with World Central Kitchen and set up in Bermagui, helping lots of members of my community access meals after the Black Summer bushfire. From the deepest parts of our hearts and soul, thank you to Zomi, for the work that she did in our community, but did in all parts of the world, and our sincere condolences to her family.

JENNETT: Well said. Kristy McBain, thank you so much for putting that on the record. More than happy to accommodate that, and for you persisting with the wind there, in Whyalla, really appreciate it.

MCBAIN: Thank you.

JENNETT: Yeah. So, those bushfire communities still hurting and worth sparing a thought.