Transcript - Interview with ABC North & West South Australia with Tom Mann

TOM MANN: Today the Federal Government is announcing a $45 million spend on road safety and bridge upgrades across 19 projects. Locally, the Appila Spring Bridge and Port Germein Road Bridge will generally receive around $3.2 million for upgrades like widening and strengthening. Kristy McBain is the Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government. Good morning.

KRISTY MCBAIN: Good morning. How are you, Tom?

MANN: I’m doing very well, thank you. Now, you’re in the region at the moment visiting Whyalla and Port Augusta today, what will you be discussing with the local councillors there?

MCBAIN: In my job as Minister for Local Government I speak to councils across the country. I’ve met with over 200 councils, speaking to them about their priority projects, what their community is after, and the opportunities and challenges that sit with them. Today, we’re really happy that we’re spending $45 million across the country in road safety projects. A couple of those in the District Council of Mount Remarkable for two bridge projects. It’s really important that we’re in the region today and having a chat to those councils about things like bridge renewal.

MANN: And so, what were the particular issues that were highlighted with these two bridges in the Mount Remarkable council area?

MCBAIN: The two bridges are Appila Spring Bridge and the Port Germein Road bridge. Both need strengthening, road widening, and it’s really important to replace barriers as well. Both of the bridges are heavily used. One needs some strengthening, which will include new steel beams. As you said, $3.2 million going to Mount Remarkable Council to deal with those particular issues. We know how important bridges are in regional communities, especially when you’ve got a lot of tourists coming through and more importantly, freight movements. A huge tonne of work that Mount Remarkable Council is about to undertake.

MANN: And how were these projects chosen?

MCBAIN: The Bridges Renewal and the Heavy Vehicle and Freight Productivity grant programs are open all year round. Councils have applied for them. These two projects were found to meet the criteria, and we’re announcing those projects today. Most importantly though, those two programs that we have are now combining into something called the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, and we’re increasing the dollar amount to $200 million a year so that we can make sure that we’re assisting more councils to deal with getting roads and bridges upgraded across our communities.

MANN: So, in coming years, other areas in the regions can expect some Federal Government support for upgrading some roads and bridges that are not quite up to scrap?

MCBAIN: That’s right. The new program will kick off from the 1 July this year. There’ll be $50 million a year more in the program now, because we know that councils have been particularly stretched with poor weather and natural disasters. We want to make sure that we’re assisting local communities right across the country. That’s been a huge priority of ours. As many of the local councils know, we’re doubling Roads to Recovery funding from $500 million a year to $1 billion a year. It’s not a grant program. Each council gets an allocation, so every local council across every community will see an upgrade in roads, because of that investment by the Federal Government.

MANN: And for those in the Mount Remarkable area, when? Do you have any idea when they can expect to see the work get underway on those bridges?

MCBAIN: The council has done all the planning work, so those works will be getting underway in the coming months. It’s really important work that is happening, and there might be some small delays, but what you’ll get at the end is a very much upgraded project.

MANN: Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government Kristy McBain is with me this morning. Now, also recently announced, attracting doctors to the regions has long been an issue. The Government is now increasing the incentive, as well as expanding the area, to bring GPs out to areas in need. How have you expanded this program?

MCBAIN: What we have just announced through Minister Butler is a new $30.5 million Pre-Fellowship program for doctors. It’s a two-year pilot which will support at least 150 doctors per year to work in areas of shortage, particularly across regional, rural and remote areas. It gives general practices, especially smaller rural practices, the opportunity to recruit from a wider pool of doctors, including doctors from overseas or doctors that have hospital experience – who are looking to move into general practice. What it does is financially support the supervision, learning and development for those medical graduates, and supports doctors to gain the general practice experience. It’s really important that we are putting in place more incentives to get doctors out to rural and regional areas. This is, of course, on top of waiving HECS fees for doctors and nurse practitioners who go to our rural and remote areas as well. Another incentivised program to try to get more GPs out into the regions that need them most.

MANN: And so, as a pilot program that is, you know, as you said, set to be rolled out over the coming two years, what are the sort of benchmarks that you are looking to see, to see whether this program is a success? Is it a lot of uptake? Is it doctors and nurses staying for extended stays? Are there other things that are in consideration?

MCBAIN: Some of the feedback we want to know from doctors is whether it’s been successful? Have you been able to attract doctors? Has it actually made it easier for you to supervise? Has it taken the pressure off your current caseload? It’s really important that we do get feedback and the AMA have been great in working with us, as has the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, who have been supporting this, as well as the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. We’ve been collaborating across the board with a lot of peak industries to understand the needs out there. This is one that there has been a campaign for. It’s really great that $30.5 million will now be supporting more doctors into rural and regional areas.

MANN: And there are many areas in our region that either need more doctors or doctors in general, when can we expect to begin seeing the results of this program?

MCBAIN: It’s open now. A two-year pilot program. We want to understand how it works and if it is working, as those peak associations intend them to. We’ll start to see people being recruited very shortly for that program. That’s also on top of a $90 million investment that we’ve had into rural medical schools. We want to see more people training regionally because we know, and the data shows us, that when people do train in regional locations, they tend to stay in them. We want to see that rural medical training back in our rural communities.

MANN: Minister, thank you very much for your time this morning.

MCBAIN: Great to be with you. Have a great day.

MANN: Thank you. Kristy McBain there, Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government.