I am delighted to speak on this job-creating 2019 budget
tonight. As the Premier and the Deputy Premier and Treasurer have stated this week, this budget has
one aim—backing Queensland jobs. These jobs will come from building the schools, roads and
hospitals our state needs. There are new schools, there are refurbished schools, there is increased
investment in hospitals and there is a record investment in roads and public transport. Since 2015
almost 200,000 jobs have been created under the Palaszczuk government. We have made job creation
our No. 1 priority and we are making great progress.
A key part of this budget is a strong investment in infrastructure—investments in the right
infrastructure at the right time. We have a $49.5 billion commitment over the next four years. In 2019-20
this investment will directly support 40,000 jobs across Queensland.
One of the absolute primary goals of any government is to promote direct and indirect jobs growth
through investments in infrastructure and through the right taxation and fiscal measures. One of the
cornerstones of this budget is the $885 million payroll tax reform package that provides incentives for
businesses across the state to grow and to put on more staff. The increase in the tax threshold to
$1.3 million means that a business in Queensland can employ twice as many people as a business in
Victoria before paying one dollar in payroll tax.
The LNP promised to do something about payroll tax when they were last in government, but
their promise did not even survive their first budget—the 2012 cut, sack and sell budget, of course. The
LNP deserted small businesses in their very first budget. In their budget reply this morning, we heard
some hot air about them supporting manufacturing—but do not listen to what they say; watch what they
do. What did they do to manufacturing when last in government? They decimated it. They sent train
contracts overseas and left Maryborough to fend for itself. If they were still in power, we would surely
not have any rail manufacturing left in Queensland.
Those opposite also mouth some support for the gas industry, but you could bet your last dollar
that, if the nimby Nats were in power when this industry was in development in Queensland, it would
have been killed dead before it started. They did it in New South Wales and they would have done it
here.
Getting local, this 2019 budget is a great win for the Aspley electorate. When elected, I committed
to work hard for the area to make sure that we secure our fair share and more of investment, particularly
for transport infrastructure, for health facilities and services, and for education. This budget has some
fantastic brand-new investment in a number of projects, some of which I have been pursuing funding
for since before I was elected.

We are targeting traffic congestion on the north side as part of this record roads and transport
budget, but these transport projects have not just arrived out of thin air. We have secured funding in
this budget because I have listened to what locals have told me and, in turn, I have taken up their
concerns with the Premier, the Deputy Premier, and the Minister for Transport and Main Roads in
particular, and they have listened.
I pay credit to locals like Louw from Aspley who came to me with one of the best community
campaigns for funding I have seen with his campaign for noise barriers along Gympie Road. Louw took
sound measurements, spoke to his neighbours, hosted his neighbours in his house and even got quotes
to show how much noise barriers would cost. His campaign spoke so clearly to the need for noise
barriers in his area that I was very happy to take up his cause, and I am very happy that we were able
to announce in the budget $4 million in funding for noise barriers along this stretch of Gympie Road.
Moving further north, anyone from Bald Hills can tell you that both the Strathpine Road
interchange and the Linkfield Road overpass, both along Gympie Arterial Road, are congestion
bottlenecks which need to be fixed. We are delivering $15 million for the Strathpine Road intersection.
This is a job-creating, congestion-tackling project that will make Bald Hills less of a car park during peak
hours. We will now contribute $15 million to building this interchange upgrade, creating 45 jobs and
tackling peak-hour congestion. Through this innovative diverging diamond interchange design—and I
encourage people to look that up—traffic is switched to the other side of the road, eliminating the need
to cross the path of oncoming cars or wait for a green light to turn right. We will be discussing with the
federal government the timing of their contribution to this project.
We also have $5 million for the Beams Road overpass business case. The initial planning for the
Beams Road level crossing is now nearing completion, and the business case will identify a preferred
option for the level crossing upgrade and identify the costs to design and build the project.
In this budget I was also pleased to see that we are investing $25 million in the jointly funded
duplication of the Linkfield Road overpass. Locals know just how frustrating rush hour traffic is on this
interchange, so we are taking immediate action to ease traffic pressures on Linkfield Road in the short
term with the construction of a dedicated left-hand turn lane while we discuss with the federal
government the broader project. We have matched the timing of the federal funding for this broader
project, but we have also brought forward $4 million of the funding into the forward estimates to ensure
that we can do any early works that are needed before full construction. This is clearly shown in QTRIP,
yet earlier today I heard the member for Everton claim that our funding does not start until 2024.
It is disappointing that the shadow Treasurer cannot even read the budget papers properly.
Additionally, if the member thinks that the state contribution is not starting quickly enough, then he
clearly thinks the federal money, which is entirely beyond the forward estimates, is definitely not
happening quickly enough. The shadow Treasurer is both wrong and criticising his federal colleagues
at the same time. The member for Everton really needs to pick up the phone to ScoMo, but of course
he will not.
I am not surprised that the shadow Treasurer is terrible with numbers. We saw this during his
failed 2016 leadership challenge. The member for Everton embarrassingly had only nine of his
colleagues back him when he was duped into running against the former member for Southern Downs.
The member for Clayfield duped him into running and then knocked him out in the first round. It would
be pretty embarrassing to be the bloke who instigates a leadership challenge and then comes third in
the subsequent leadership challenge with only nine of your 40 colleagues backing you in. He needs to
send himself to the video ref to have a long, hard look at himself.
Government members interjected.
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Pause the clock. Members need to be in their correct seats if they want
to engage in the debate.
Mr MELLISH: This budget is also a great win for local schools. For education we have: $200,000
to create an outdoor learning space outside block L at Aspley East State School; $250,000 to refurbish
block B at Aspley Special School; $180,000 to refurbish the existing quadrangle at Bald Hills State
School; and $450,000 to refurbish block K at Craigslea State High School.
I am pleased to see that our election commitment for new funding for Aspley State High School
is flowing through too. This is up to $12 million under the Renewing Our Schools program. Through this
program Aspley State High School has already received a new covered outdoor learning area. In
addition, under this initiative this school will also benefit from a new multi-purpose sports hall and a
music and visual arts centre. Combined with the creek crossing over the pipe which I secured funding
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for earlier this year, this will be a brilliant lift to the facilities of a great school that is going from strength
to strength—a school that will now have new facilities of its own which will also be linked across
Cabbage Tree Creek to the $5.5 million sporting precinct which is going in at Carseldine.
In relation to sports projects, I was very pleased to see in this budget that we have $184,000 for
the Aspley Hornets to upgrade existing lighting to support AFL at Carseldine. At the moment their night
lighting is not up to standard, so this upgrade will allow the club to host more games at night and better
use their facilities. I am very pleased that we are able to deliver this funding for a fantastic local sporting
club. Well done to Dale and the team for pushing for this to happen. The rollout of the previously
announced funding for the Geebung Bowls Club is happening, as is the new home for basketball on the
north side in Zillmere. I cannot wait to see these projects delivered. Importantly, this budget is a great
win for north side locals. I look forward to voting for this budget and I look forward to getting on with the
projects that this budget will deliver in Aspley.