Matt Smith MP outlines new Daintree disaster funds and Shire housing boost
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I always look forward to sharing what I've been up to with the community, and May has been a particularly eventful month!
I was recently in Cape Tribulation visiting the Daintree with Patrick Gorman, the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister. It always takes me by surprise just how beautiful it is in the Douglas Shire, and how lucky we all are to call this corner of the world our home. Patrick and I thank all the engaged members of the community who found the time to come talk with us so that we could hear their concerns.
The Daintree of course was very badly affected by the extreme weather at the tail end of the wet season, and I’m glad to see that various tranches of Disaster Recovery Funding have now been activated to help those individuals and businesses that were impacted.
There are also now government-funded roadworks, marine access points and upgrades to infrastructure that will help build future resilience for the Ferry and roads north of the river, so that we can prevent the damage, hardship and frustration from happening again.
Budget
I’ve been working hard, advocating for the Far North this past month, both across the region and also down in Parliament House. The good news is that Jim Chalmers the Treasurer handed down his Federal Budget mid-May and we have some significant investment in the region.
The biggest news is that there is a national Local Infrastructure Fund of $2 Billion announced, of which $500 million will be specifically targeted for the regional areas of Australia – this money will be used to subsidise roads, sewerage, connectivity and everything necessary to prepare sites on which to build new houses.
This is a massive vote of confidence in the Far North, so it’s going to present some really great opportunities for young couples and families looking to get their first rung on the property ladder, starting new lives in our beautiful Tropics. I wasted no time in telling Mayor Lisa Scomazzon all about this announcement and have encouraged her to prepare for when the applications open.
I’m very excited to see new suburbs shoot up over the course of the next decade, and of course with it will come new jobs, new opportunities, and new families that will grow up proudly calling the Far North their home.
CWAR
The Cairns Western Arterial Road duplication has also received a further commitment of over $166 million in the budget so that we can get on with helping Cairns locals get home quicker and safer. That stretch of road between Lake Placid and Smithfield was inundated and impassable during the floods post Cyclone Jasper and we can’t allow for that to happen again.
It will of course take some time, but we’re confident that the Queensland Government and TMR will now be ready to get the work started, with the first phase projected to be completed in time for the 2032 Olympics.
Urgent Care Clinics
The Edmonton Urgent Care Clinic has been going from strength to strength delivering essential health care for folks on the South side, and the Budget has now funded both of our Urgent Care Clinics to remain permanently as part of Medicare.
Meanwhile, the new North side Urgent Care Clinic in Smithfield has already clocked up a staggering 2,500 patient visits since the doors opened only two months ago. It’s great to see that the need has been fulfilled for those Northern suburbs and the locals are going there when they need to.
For residents in the Douglas Shire, having the UCC in Smithfield makes them 20 minutes’ drive closer to professional health care than driving all the way to Cairns Hospital.
Labor recognises the importance of Medicare and its significant role keeping all of us as healthy as possible. With 53 fully Bulk Billed general practices across the electorate, the two (permanent) Urgent Care Clinics, a walk-in Medicare Mental Health Clinic on Mulgrave Road, and cheaper prescriptions for all, the government is doing everything in our power to look after every Australian’s health, both inside and out.
Contact me
I always value hearing your voices, and if you want to get in touch with my team at any time, you can call us on 07 4051 2220, email [email protected] or feel free to pop into the office at 200 Mulgrave Road where my friendly and helpful staff will be on hand to help you out.
If you want to follow my movements more closely you can find me online at my website MattSmithMP.com or my social media feeds “Matt Smith MP” across Facebook and Instagram
Until the next time, look after one another, and I’ll look forward to catching up again soon.
*Matt Smith is the Federal Member of Parliament for the Division of Leichhardt, representing the Labor Party and a long‑term Far North Queensland local and former professional basketball player committed to advocating for the region’s communities and economy.
- The opinions and views in this column are those of the author and author only and do not reflect the Newsport editor or staff.
