Mr Speaker, as Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, I rise to outline the Albanese Government’s vision for a more prosperous, resilient and sustainable regional Australia.

Opening

This Budget not only supports that vision but also delivers the kind of investment that will keep our regional communities at the very centre of national economic development. 

As it should be. 

I am a proud regional Member of this place. And I know how fortunate I am to have spent my life in regional Australia. I am so lucky to call the Bega Valley home.

I wouldn’t want to live, work or raise our family anywhere else. 

The people, the landscape, the lifestyle, the opportunities… at the risk of sounding like a new tourism ad for south-eastern NSW… it really is special. 

The deep sense of community spirit in the regional and rural areas is something that is hard to describe. 

It’s a rare mix of determination, respect, good humour, resilience and optimism. 

You can certainly feel it in the way people come together, quietly, with purpose, in the hard times.

And with gusto, to celebrate when times are good.

Mr Speaker, this budget is about looking out for regional Australians—in good times and when times are tough.

No one held back, and no one left behind. 

It’s about easing cost of living pressures.

It’s about access to housing.

It’s about better healthcare for regional Australians. With better access to services, closer to home.

It’s also about providing more opportunities to study closer to home or undertake apprenticeships and training pathways that lead to real jobs at the end.

That’s what keeps young people living in regional areas, close to family and friends, to community supports, to work and study.

And it’s about more investment in better, safer roads; for long distance travel and local trips.

Because regional Australians deserve nothing less. 

Tax cuts

Mr Speaker, every dollar matters, but never more with rise in the cost of living.

The past few years have been difficult—for families, for people on low incomes, for small business owners and for young people starting out.

And it has been tough in regional areas, with longer travel distances and higher costs due to freight charges.

This government wants to make sure every hard-earned dollar goes further for regional Australians.

That’s why we’re introducing new tax cuts for every working Australian taxpayer. 

The Working Australians Tax Offset provides an additional tax cut of up to $250 for working Australians on top of the tax cuts in the 2024–25 Budget and the two upcoming rounds announced in the 2025–26 Budget.

The Working Australians Tax Offset is a permanent, annual tax offset of up to $250 from the 2027–28 income year for all Australian workers.

Our five different tax cuts will benefit the average worker by up to $2,816 in 2028, and add up to $54 back in the average worker’s pocket each week. 

Mr Speaker, our Government will also save small businesses thousands of dollars by making the instant asset write-off permanent.

This means small businesses will be able to immediately deduct new equipment worth up to $20,000, from new tech to tools to machinery.

Fuel

The other immediate pressure we’ve worked hard to address is fuel—cost of fuel and availability of fuel, especially diesel. 

Regional Australia has been hit hardest by the impact of the global fuel shortage. 

By acting quickly to secure fuel for industries most exposed to the shortage—agriculture, transport and mining—we are protecting regional productivity.

We moved quickly to more than halve the fuel excise and reduce the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge to zero for three months to June.

This has helped keep freight moving around the country and all Australians feeling the pinch. The availability of fertiliser is absolutely critical for our farmers.

This government has secured a deal for 250,000 tonnes of additional agricultural-grade urea to provide certainty for the upcoming planting season.

We have also underwritten the purchase of fertiliser by the private sector to support availability, and streamlining border processes, including reducing port clearance times.

Farming and agriculture have always been the backbone of this country, of regional Australia, and we know how important it is to support these industries.

That’s why this Budget is delivering a landmark $14.8 billion Australian Fuel Security and Resilience package to safeguard the nation’s energy sovereignty.

The package will help secure the fuel and fertiliser supplies Australia needs, by providing targeted financial support and also establishing a government-owned reserve. 

The Albanese Government will protect Australia’s energy interests, support essential industries, and help ensure reliable fuel access during future supply issues.

Health

Mr Speaker, one of the great privileges of my portfolio is not only traversing so much of my own electorate, but also visiting so many communities from across this incredible country of ours – from Colac to Cloncurry, Katherine, Dolphin Sands and Orange.

It’s when you’re visiting the local chamber of commerce or SES brigade, talking to parents and staff at the childcare centre, or catching up with locals at the bakery that you start to understand the challenges and hopes of each region.

While every town and community is unique, there are compelling themes that are raised all the time.

So, I turn now to the health and wellbeing of regional Australians.

Last August, I spent time with my colleague, the Member for Hunter and Special Envoy for Men's Health, Dan Repacholi.

We visited the Goulburn Railway Bowling Club to talk about all the topics that can sometimes be difficult for men to talk about.

What we heard, was no surprise. 

Health and wellbeing in regional Australia is top of mind, even if it’s not always spoken about. 

Access to care is top of mind. Affordable care is top of mind. And quality of care is top of mind.

It also remains top of mind for our government. 

Which is why this government’s $579[SD1] .6 million a year investment to keep Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open and free matters so much to Australians living in regional and rural areas. 

Our Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will be embedded as a permanent part of Australia’s health system.

That’s 137 clinics providing accessible and affordable urgent care services across Australia.

And 47 will support communities in regional, rural and remote Australia.

Now, I know what a real difference the new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Bega has made to my local community, since it opened in February.

Glenn from Bega took the time to contact me to express his gratitude. He had used the clinic because of an altercation with a Stanley knife. He said it was an “excellent service and that he was very happy and grateful for this initiative”.

And Gordon from Bega also called my office to let us know he was so impressed with the service he has been telling everyone he knows about it.

Having access to bulk billed urgent care is also taking the pressure off the emergency department at South-East Regional Hospital.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are a gamechanger if you live outside a major city. 

Free, urgent care close to home—removing another cost-of-living pressure and supporting better health outcomes for regional Australians. 

Once all are opened, by the end of June, 4 out of 5 Australians will live within a 20-minute drive from their local Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

In 2026–27, we are investing a further $25 million to establish up to six new fully bulk-billing general practices in the Central Coast, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter regions.

These measures mean Australians in regional, rural and remote areas will have more options to access health care closer to home.

We are also investing in the next generation of doctors through higher education measures.

This includes 20 new Medical Commonwealth Supported Places for the University of Tasmania, to help address rural and regional workforce shortages and strengthen primary care outcomes particularly in northern Tasmania.

Education

On the point of education, I want to highlight the work we have done to support learning in regional Australia.

I went to a great regional school. It set me up for a great career in law and public service. 

My kids go to a regional school. I want them to have that same quality education experience. One that doesn’t just see them through the grades but sets them up for life—to shine. To succeed at whatever they wish to do.

Great educational outcomes need great teachers. 

This government has invested $160 million in the Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships Program to encourage more people to enter the teaching profession, especially in regional areas.

We’ve also seen the incredible success of Regional University Study Hubs to help country students access higher education without moving.

In April, I was delighted to open the new Country Universities Centre - Snowy Valleys in Tumut, in the Snowy Mountains. 

Talking to young people, parents, staff and local employers, this model is so welcome in communities where in the past it has been accepted practice to wave school leavers off to the major cities for higher education.

Not anymore.

Looking out for the youngest members of our community has always been a priority for me.

This government recognises that support for the early years, “the under-fives”, is investing in Australia’s future.

That is why we are supporting early childhood programs such as the National Voice for Our Children – Early Years Support Program, supporting culturally safe and holistic early learning while strengthening families and communities.

There is also $5.8 million to extend higher Parliament and Civics Education Rebate levels for schools in regional and disadvantaged areas for a further two years. The program supports educational visits to national democratic, historical and cultural institutions in Canberra.

Housing

Mr Speaker, as Minister for Regional Development, I am acutely aware that housing supply, affordability and enabling infrastructure in our regions are key drivers of whether families and workers can move to—and stay in—the places they are needed most.

The Albanese Government is addressing the unique housing challenge in regional Australia to ensure our regions remain strong, connected and well positioned to provide opportunity to those who live and work there.

Responding to concerns about housing security, particularly in regional Australia, the government has an over $47 billion Homes for Australia plan to build more homes, help first home buyers, and support renters.

Underpinning this plan is a shared commitment to deliver 1.2 million new well-located homes by 30 June 2029 under the National Housing Accord.

Regional Australians are a priority across our major housing initiatives, with significant programs underway that are already delivering better outcomes in our regions.

Programs such as the expanded 5 per cent deposit scheme and the Help to Buy scheme are helping more Australians get the keys to their own home.

We’ve already helped over 81,000 regional Australians into home ownership through the 5% deposit scheme since May 2022. 

The Albanese Government has committed to deliver 55,000 social and affordable homes across the country, including through the Housing Australia Future Fund.

Under the Housing Australia Future Fund, $200 million is being allocated for the repair, maintenance and improvement of housing in remote Indigenous communities in QLD, WA, SA and the NT. 

Rounds 1 and 2 of the Housing Australia Future Fund are also supporting the development of more than 2,800 social and affordable homes in regional and remote areas, with more expected in round 3.

Down in our Snowy Mountain region we have recognised the need for more housing.     So we are providing $12.4 million to the Cooma Housing Project through the Housing Australia – Critical Infrastructure Program, which will develop 12.6 hectares of unused land into a new community with 140 new residential land lots, with a mix of social, affordable and private housing options tailored to the local community.

The $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator Payment is on track to deliver over 1,350 social homes in regional Australia.

Mr Speaker, I have seen firsthand how safe, secure housing can change lives. 

And I’ve heard loud and clear from local councils all over the country that they stand ready to help us deliver more housing. 

They need help with more enabling and community infrastructure. 

And in this Budget, we are delivering both. 

To increase housing supply in the regions, the government has created a new $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund under the Housing Support Program, with $500 million dedicated to local enabling infrastructure in regional Australia.

We are responding to the demand for housing enabling infrastructure demonstrated through the Community Enabling Infrastructure Stream under the Housing Support Program

Which funded projects like the $112.3 million Marong Sewer Infrastructure Upgrade – Enabling Housing Growth and Development project in the growing Marong township of the Bendigo region.

This project is well underway delivering upgrades to three sewer pump stations in Marong and constructing 6km of rising mains along the Calder Highway, to enable the development of over 2,300 much needed, new residential lots.

The new stream of the Housing Support Program will help local governments and state utility providers build the critical ‘last mile’ infrastructure needed to support new housing developments. 

It will be available where a state or territory commits to undertake further reforms to build more homes. An ambitious set of reforms has the potential to support tens of thousands of additional homes.

Transport Infrastructure

Mr Speaker, this Budget also supports priority transport and community infrastructure projects that improve safety, freight efficiency and connectivity for regional communities.

It delivers safer and more reliable transport networks, strengthens connections between the cities and the regions, and supports economic growth.

We’re continuing to invest in transport infrastructure through the over $120 billion 10-year infrastructure investment pipeline.

This Budget will see a total of $12.1 billion in new investments across the transport and infrastructure portfolio, with $10.3 billion for transport infrastructure projects, $976 million for transport, and $803 million for community infrastructure. 

This included record investment in regional Australia - from the Pilbara, to the Limestone Coast, to the Bruce Highway.

We are also supporting our local councils, doubling the level of funding they are provided to maintain and improve local roads through the Roads to Recovery program.

1. Since July 2024, the government has committed $4.4 billion nationally over five years. This is $1.8 billion more than the previous five years.

2. Funding is allocated to each local council with almost $850 million allocated nationally in 2026-27.

3. In this Budget, we are also bringing forward payment of $2.9 billion for local councils, being 80% of the 2026-27 estimate, which will be paid to states and territories before June 2026 to be passed onto every council in Australia.

4. This will be important funding to assist local councils continue to deliver essential services in our regional and remote communities.

The $200 million per year Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program also funds projects to target freight efficiency, improve road safety and productivity, renew bridges, and deliver heavy vehicle rest areas on our regional highways. 

Projects like the replacement of the bridge over Grawin Creek on Gwydir Highway near Collarenebri is a perfect example of how this government is improving freight movements to and from our regions.

We also have the Remote Roads Upgrade Pilot Program, committing $150 million to 33 road improvement projects in regional communities.

Locally, that includes Mansfield Shire Council’s recently completed $12.3 million upgrades to Highton Lane, Rifle Butts Road and Chapel Hill Road—improving safety, traffic flow and heavy vehicle access.

Following our support throughout the Rex voluntary administration process, this Government continues to put in place measures that will help preserve regional aviation connectivity.

This year’s Budget will provide $38.1 million over four years, and $7.3 million ongoing each year, to strengthen protections for aviation consumers, and $4.5 million over four years for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to continue aviation price monitoring.

These are important measures that help support people in the regions who rely on accessible and affordable air services.

Mr Speaker, this Government is committed to improving road safety outcomes across the country.

This really matters to me as a regional member. 

We want to make sure that everyone travelling on regional roads, makes it to their destination safely.

That's why we're investing more in national road safety research to ensure our future funding decisions are targeted to where it will have the greatest impact.

This work will draw on expert advice and leverage the extensive national dataset through our National Road Safety Data Hub.

In 2024, Minister King successfully negotiated data sharing provisions through a new infrastructure Federation Funding Agreement with the states and territories. 

These provisions are delivering an uplift in the quality and utility of road safety data available to the Australian Government.

This further research will explore the incidence of road accidents in greater depth.

It will consider emerging opportunities and risks as vehicle technologies evolve.

To this end, we will continue our important Black Spot Program, increased from $110 million to $150 million per year by this Government.

In every state and territory, we are funding essential improvements like traffic signals, roundabouts, and safety barriers. 

Turning from road to rail, we are also supporting High Speed Rail through funding for the Newcastle to Sydney development phase, providing $659.6 million over three years to the High Speed Rail Authority. 

Better connection between Newcastle and Sydney will support regional liveability and growth, not to mention workforce participation as we keep up the momentum towards the delivery of high-speed rail for Australia.

Mr Speaker, we are also investing a further $1.75 billion in the Australian Rail Track Corporation to strengthen the existing rail track network, taking our total commitment to upgrade their network to nearly $2.8 billion. 

The works will involve upgrades to improve the efficiency of the North South rail line, support longer trains and enhance service reliability and safety. 

Works will also include resilience upgrades in high-risk flood-prone sections particularly along the East-West Corridor, which has faced many multi-week closures over the last decade following downpours in central Australia. 

We will also continue focusing on delivering the Inland Rail project between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South Wales by the end of 2027. 

This will enable double stacked freight trains to travel between Melbourne and Perth, via Parkes[AB2] . 

These transformative rail projects are helping to reduce emissions and make our roads safer.

Community Infrastructure

Mr Speaker, I also want to highlight our commitment of an additional $750 million for a further round of our flagship Growing Regions and Thriving Suburbs programs, bringing total investment since 2022 to over $1.7 billion.  

The Growing Regions program supports community infrastructure development across regional, rural and remote communities.

We’ve already seen some amazing projects being delivered under this program. I was delighted to visit Roma in Queensland and see how the $15 million funding under this program will help to revitalise the local swimming pool.

I also want to mention our $5.9 million Growing Regions Program support for the revitalisation of the CBD in “The Curry"—Cloncurry, one of the most friendly and growing communities in north west Queensland.

The upgrade of Scarr Street will deliver improved amenities, accessibility, connectivity and safety for residents and visitors alike. And is particularly welcome given the recent floods.

Round 3 of Growing Regions will provide $250,000 to $15 million per project for construction-ready broad-use, community-focused infrastructure that strengthens connection and social cohesion, and supports local governing bodies to deliver infrastructure aligned to local, regional and national priorities.

This Budget also includes $22.5 million to deliver Round 10 of the Stronger Communities Program, building on the more than 18,000 projects already delivered to benefit local communities.

First Nations

Mr Speaker, this Budget delivers on our Closing the Gap commitments – it delivers more support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially in regional and remote communities.

We know economic empowerment is central to improving outcomes for First Nations people, particularly those in remote areas. 

That’s why we are investing an additional $299.0 million in the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program to double new jobs from 3,000 to 6,000 by 2030. These are jobs with decent wages and conditions like sick leave and superannuation.

This is about the dignity of work for people in remote communities.

The Government has committed an additional $27.4 million for the expansion of the Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme.

Families in remote communities are seeing savings of up to 50% on items like canned fruit, tinned vegetables, pasta, nappies, soap and toilet paper.

By addressing the higher cost of essential goods in remote areas, this initiative also supports improved food security and contributes to better health and wellbeing for individuals and families.

We are also committing $32.7 million over three years from 2026–27 to expand the Stores Efficiency and Resilience Package. This will enable an additional 75 remote stores to increase stock levels  and be prepared when communities are cut off. 

This Budget includes measures to improve digital inclusion, including free Wi Fi for 53 remote communities through the First Nations Community Wi Fi program—this has proved to be an absolute gamechanger.

We are delivering more health services – with further investments in health infrastructure, in culturally-safe maternity services and in 13Yarn to support First Nations people when they need it most.

We are delivering the first standalone National Plan to end violence against First Nations women and children – Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices – and we are backing it in with $218.3 million for immediate actions.

It supports community-led responses to family, domestic and sexual violence by establishing a national Aboriginal Community - Controlled Organisation network and continuing funding for the peak body, Our Ways Strong Together.

And we’re continuing our early years support through SNAICC - National Voice for Our Children, helping First Nations community-controlled organisations deliver early childhood services in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia

It also supports learning and jobs, including investment to lift First Nations education outcomes and expanding the TAFE Technology Fund so training can be delivered through mobile services in remote First Nations communities.

These measures sit alongside investments that help First Nations people take part in new economic and environmental opportunities in the regions.

DISASTER RECOVERY

Mr Speaker, I have seen firsthand the devastating impacts of natural disasters across many regional and rural communities.

Communities like Julia Creek in Queensland, Barkly in the NT and Ruffy in Victoria.

In just the last Higher Risk Weather Season, we saw 60 severe weather events impacting more than 190 LGAs, with some communities impacted back-to-back.

Resilience is a word we talk about a lot in emergency management and it has been sorely tested across significant parts of the country by extreme weather events. 

A recovery journey doesn’t end with the higher risk weather season. It takes years. 

Which is why this government is investing in disaster recovery and emergency management to back regional communities every step of the way.

AusAlert

Mr Speaker, reliable and timely public warnings are essential for local preparedness, early action and community safety.

Our new National Messaging System, AusAlert, is a national emergency and public safety capability designed to deliver fast, secure and geo-targeted messaging. 

AusAlert will empower Australians to make timely, informed decisions to keep their themselves and loved ones safe.

The AusAlert project continues to progress, with Community-Based Trials in June and a National Test on 27 July 2026. Following these tests, the AusAlert system will be operational by October 2026.

Aerial Firefighting

Mr Speaker, 2026 summer fires across Victoria left too many communities once again reeling from catastrophic damage. 

Longwood, Dargo, Carlisile River, Walwa, Towong, Alexandra, Harcourt and many more. 

And having lived through the horrific Black Summer fires in 2019-20 in my own neighbourhood of Bega; the sound, the smell, the taste of bushfire is something you never get used to.

But it’s a reality of living in a regional or rural area. 

Today, the national aerial firefighting capability is a coordinated, high-tech fleet of over 160 contracted aircraft, managed by the National Aerial Firefighting Centre on behalf of states and territories.

And we are continuing to invest in it through this Budget.

Closing

When I first became a regional member of parliament, having proudly served my community as a local mayor, I said that a postcode should never be barrier to opportunity in regional Australia. 

Where you live must not define what you can do. 

I mean that just as much today. Perhaps even more so as I meet more of the extraordinary people who call regional Australia home.

Mr speaker, this Budget is for them. And for their children and grandchildren to follow.

This Budget is a blueprint for a stronger and more resilient regional Australia.

A regional Australia that is optimistic for its future and is confident that this government is there in the good times, and the bad.

It’s about supporting a vision for growth and development while preserving the unique identity and fierce sense of community that sets our regional areas apart.

So that every Australian, no matter where they live, can share in our national prosperity—today, and for decades to come.

Thank you.