WA, Kimberley Capitals Forum Held in Perth

Thank you to the Regional Capitals Alliance of Western Australia and the Kimberley Regional Group for inviting me today. This is my third year presenting to this forum. As a 'sometimes' guitarist, I know you do not usually get an encore unless your last performance was somewhat decent!

And as a proud West Australian and a Parliamentarian it is great to be here and to again have an opportunity to speak to you about the Albanese Government's commitment to our regions.

Our vision for regional Australia

For as long as there has been a concept of 'Western Australia' there have been people giving speeches about the importance of its regions. In this regard, I know I am not special.

So let's take things back to July 1969. Inside Apollo XI, Neil Armstrong was getting ready to set his moonboots on the dusty surface of the Moon. We all know the role of the CSIRO and the Parkes 'dish'. But like so many things, Western Australia's pivotal role was overshadowed. It was the NASA Carnarvon Tracking Station that got Apollo 11 to the Moon. The 200 scientists, engineers and workers there issued the final "go-ahead" for that historic achievement.

Meanwhile further south and back on Earth, Albany Mayor George Formby was similarly getting ready to put his foot down - in the even dustier Wheatbelt. Mayor Formby gave a speech in Wagin. A speech the local paper labelled "outspoken" and gave a full write-up.

But what were the scandalous comments delivered?

He argued that the Great Southern:

"… has the best sea-port in W.A. - the port of Albany. Nature put it there. The powers that be have yet to return the compliment."

Mayor Formby remarked that while on an east coast tour, he had been shocked to learn that the people there had never heard of any regional WA towns.

He set himself and those present a mission:

"We have to debunk the belief that Perth is the only West Australian town."

What was scandalous and outspoken in 1969 is accepted fact in 2025: Western Australian regional capitals face unique problems caused by distance and size, and regional WA must be firmly in the orbit of decision makers in government.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister said:

"We are a government for all Australians, and we're particularly a government for regional Australians."

I could not agree with him more. The issues concerning regional Australians do not exist in a galaxy far, far away. And here in WA, though incredibly important, we must concede that Perth is not the centre of the universe.

Regional Australia - and regional Western Australia - are at the heart of our mission to Build Australia's Future. We understand and appreciate that regional Australia drives outcomes for all Australians and we look to the regions, and our regional capitals, to lead and to help us thrive.

Our vision for regional Australia is of strong, connected communities shaping economic growth and wellbeing. We want our regions to be resilient to economic and global shifts. To be empowered towards a future made in Australia. To be inclusive, vibrant and diverse.

And we want our regions to be places where people, businesses and investment thrive. We want to - in Mayor Formby's words - return the compliment.

Roads: Then and now

To make this vision a reality, you need more than words.You need to take action - and that is something we have been doing the past three years, and doubled down on in the most recent Budget in March. And one of the top items on the agenda is roads.

It was exactly 40 years ago today that audiences first heard Doc Brown tell Marty:

"Where we're going, we don't need roads!"

Back to the Future was a great movie - but this was terrible advice. We do need roads.

The Government has committed $7.6 billion towards transport infrastructure projects in WA over 10 years.

That means funding for some much-needed projects, including:

1. $1.6 billion for projects that are part of the Roads to Recovery, Black Spots, and Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure programs
2. $1.1 billion for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road
3. $350 million to go towards the upgrade of Kwinana Freeway
4. $160 million towards Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements.

   This includes upgrading transport infrastructure in the agricultural regions of WA, planning works to recommission some Tier 3 grain lines and the planning and procurement of materials for upgrades on the Midland Line in the Wheatbelt.

5. Our $2.5 million election commitment towards a feasibility study for taking back control of parts of the privatised freight rail network.

We are continuing a proud legacy of building connected communities. A legacy that began with our First Nations people and was legislated in 1871 with the District Roads Act, which established 18 road districts across the colony. And it was only weeks after this that the Municipal Institutions Act created the municipalities of Fremantle, Guildford, Bunbury, Busselton, Albany, and Geraldton.

Together, these meant roads and bridges. Local governance. And, best of all, it made Western Australia the envy of the Eastern states. An interconnected galaxy of towns across the vast space of our state.

Reflecting on the new infrastructure, Governor Broome did not miss the opportunity to point out:

"[Our] roads are much better than those of some much wealthier colonies."

Even then we could not resist the opportunity to remind the Eastern states that we are well and truly on the map in regional WA.

Other commitments

But, of course, connecting communities is about more than just roads. We also need to be making sure people can get jobs, healthcare, education and other support wherever they live. That is what the Regional Investment Framework is about. We listen to local voices, draw on data, and work closely with Regional Development Australia to identify what each region needs.

Partnership is at the core of the Government's approach. Because we know that by partnering with local governments, businesses and communities, we can shape solutions that work on the ground. We are listening to our modern-day Mayor Formby equivalents. Making sure we are one of the 'powers that be' which will 'return the compliment' when it comes to everything the regions have given us.

For example, we are supporting a place-based mentoring program that works with First Nations women-led businesses in regional and remote areas. And helps First Nations women entrepreneurs to launch new businesses, or grow existing ones. And we will be working with communities to upgrade, maintain, and establish new community laundries in up to 12 First Nations communities.

We are also doing more to support education in the regions. Under the Regional University Study Hubs Program, about 15,000 students Australia-wide have already accessed higher education without having to leave their communities. About fifteen percent of those students accessing the Hubs have been in WA, working out of our state's nine dedicated Hubs.

It is the same story with Free TAFE - with over 13,600 Free TAFE enrolments across the WA regions from January 2023 to September 2024. Our increased support for apprentices has the same effect: allowing young Australians to build a future where they grew up. Ensuring the opportunities ahead of them stretch to infinity and beyond.

That means funding for some much-needed projects, including:

1. improving NBN access. NBN Co will upgrade the Fibre to Node network, backed through a $3 billion equity investment in NBN Co from the Australian Government. Approximately 111,000 premises across WA, including 72,000 in regional WA, stand to benefit from improved access
2. establishing 50 new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, 17 of which will be in regional, rural or remote areas, including Geraldton and Yanchep.
3. expanding the Help to Buy scheme and the Home Guarantee scheme, which has already helped over 20,000 West Australians achieve home ownership
4. increasing the property price caps for both programs to $850,000 for Perth, and $600,000 for the rest of WA, to support more Western Australians to purchase homes.
5. And, creating a $1 billion Green Iron Investment Fund.

It is a big list - and I do not mean to overwhelm you. Or, worse, bore you - and potentially risk a return invite next year!

The key is working in partnership to make sure we can deliver for regional communities. What might be one small step for Government can be one giant leap for a regional community. But this is something only partnership can tell us.

Respecting our regions by delivering for them

Before I wrap up, it is important to say a few things. While we do look at our regions collectively, we also recognise the unique environment and industries in Western Australia.

We are working together on Mayor Formby's mission to 'debunk' the myth that Perth is all WA has to offer. We do this through programs like the $400 million Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program and the Growing Regions Program.

And we are supporting initiatives in WA's regional capitals and in the Kimberley. Like the $14.6 million we're contributing to the Albany Regional Airport runway upgrade. The $13.3 million for the extension of the East Kimberley Regional Airport runway in Kununurra.

Building new community Hubs with $15 million in funding for the Newman Youth and Community Centre in East Pilbara. And $14.9 million for the James Street Multipurpose Community Hub in Esperance.

And over $800,000 for a new, inclusive, multipurpose opportunity hub in Geraldton to support people with disabilities to gain training and independence.

Energy investment

I would also like to highlight just some of our Government's investments in regional Western Australian energy - because there are a lot.

We are backing businesses across WA to seize the opportunities of a Future Made in Australia and create good jobs for the future of their communities. We have legislated our Rewiring the Nation fund and struck a funding deal for up to $3 billion for vital new energy infrastructure here in Western Australia.

We are switching on four new big batteries by October 2027 - all in regional WA. The Boddington Giga Battery, Merredin Big Battery, Muchea Battery and Waroona Renewable Energy Project will provide more cheap, clean, renewable energy to WA.

We have partnered with Fortescue to develop and build world-first fast EV chargers. Electrifying heavy haulage trucks at remote mine sites here in Hazelmere and Christmas Creek - and hopefully one day, across the state.

This $10 million grant was awarded through our $1.9 billion Powering the Regions Fund, supporting emissions reduction at industrial facilities in regional Australia.

Our Government is also investing $198 million in green metals to develop a low-emissions iron production process. For the first time, the iron ore produced by the Pilbara could be processed into low-emissions iron right here in Western Australia.

We also are giving Horizon Power customers in regional WA the largest household battery rebate in the nation - up to $7,500. Together with our battery loan scheme expansion, this will enable energy storage in areas with high solar uptake but limited grid capacity. Empowering regional households to benefit from the journey to decarbonising WA and encouraging energy self-sufficiency in remote communities.

We are also investing in regional capitals like Bunbury to become clean energy hubs. Bunbury's Offshore Wind Farm proposal has huge potential to create hundreds of jobs, an entirely new industry and clean, reliable renewable energy in the Southwest.

Community benefit is not just about a solar company funding new footy jumpers. We want to see lasting legacy investments so that regional communities directly benefit from the energy transition, not just bear the burden of it.

Taken together, these commitments make life better for people in the regions. It is about making sure services are there when they are needed. It is about making sure the regions are best placed to benefit from the key industries of the future. And it is about respect - for people, for places, and for potential.

Conclusion

Thank you again for the opportunity to join you today. As I said at the beginning, I am a proud Western Australian.

While regional capitals can be the centre of our space achievements, they may not always feel like the centre of the universe. Yet our regional capitals consistently overachieve and put themselves on the map.

Last year, Australia sent 66 athletes who were born in regional capitals half a world away - to the Paris Olympics. Including gold medal-winning pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, who despite regularly launching herself into the stratosphere, originally hails from Busselton.

Like our Olympians you are champions. Champions for your regions - just like Mayor Formby - to make sure regional Australia is always part of our national story. A story that does not end once you leave the gravitational pull of a capital city.

Like Neil Armstrong, you know that small steps can lead to giant leaps for your communities. Your advocacy at the local government level may feel small scale, but it is astronomically important to the function of our Australian democracy.

Because whether it is sport, or business, or agriculture, or anything else - when regional Australia wins, we all win. And - as was said way back in 1969 - the beautiful diversity of the regional communities across our country give Australians so much to be proud of. It is up to the powers that be to return the favour.

You can be assured this Government will back you all the way - to the moon and back.