Senator DAVEY (New South Wales—The Nationals Whip in the Senate) (21:10): In rising to speak, I note that this is not my first speech. But I do appreciate the opportunity to speak to the ambitious plan that the Liberal-National coalition government has for Australia over this term of parliament, and it's unfortunate that Senator Patrick's not excited, because I certainly am. Before I speak to the coalition government's plan, I want to acknowledge those who helped the coalition to achieve its third consecutive term in government. I consider myself incredibly privileged to have joined the Senate at this year's federal election, an election in which the Nationals recorded a particularly impressive result. And I take this opportunity to single out our party's leaders, the member for Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Michael McCormack, and Senator for Victoria the Hon. Bridget McKenzie, for their efforts in achieving this result. Together with their team, Michael and Bridget worked tirelessly with our parliamentarians, candidates, members and volunteers across Australia to secure the Nationals' terrific result. State by state, seat by seat, they worked effectively to communicate the Nationals' plan for building the infrastructure and delivering the services that are needed to grow rural and regional Australia. And the result? The Nationals retained all of our seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, contrary to what many in the media and those on the opposition benches were predicting. But our celebrations have been short lived, not because we're not pleased to be here but because we are focused not on ourselves but on delivering for our communities throughout rural and regional Australia, and we get straight to work. The coalition took a bold infrastructure plan to the election, and the voters endorsed it resoundingly. Building roads, rail links and airports—that's what we need to grow regional Australia, and that is what is at the heart of our government's agenda. I am very proud to say that the centrepiece of our government's hundred billion dollar infrastructure pipeline is Inland Rail, a once-in-a-generation project that will transform the way freight is moved around Australia. In my home state of New South Wales, rural and regional communities are already seeing the benefit from this transformational project. Earlier this month, track work near Parkes in Central West New South Wales was completed. This link is just the start of the connections Inland Rail will forge along its 1,700-kilometre route between Melbourne and Brisbane. More than 70 Central West businesses are supplying products or services, and more than 280 local people are working on the project across a range of jobs, including engineers, tradespeople, labourers and administration staff. In total, around 700 people have already worked on the Parkes to Narromine section of the rail alone, and these figures will keep growing as the project moves into each stage of construction. The north-west connection will link Inland Rail to the interstate east-west line from Sydney to Perth, providing a vital connection for the freight industry and ensuring we have sufficient connections from regional Australia to domestic and international markets. But the benefits of Inland Rail don't end there. This project is opening up opportunities for regional businesses, manufacturers and farmers, enabling them to grow their exports by helping them to get their produce to market when and where it is required. And there are boundless future opportunities to get industry processing and manufacturing away from the urban fringes and out to the regions, where they face lower costs, more space and less congestion. The Inland Rail project will support 16,000 jobs during construction and will provide a $16 billion boost to our national economy over the long term, helping to build resilience in our economy going forward. But our plan for rural and regional Australia goes well beyond infrastructure. We are doing everything we can to support the continued growth of our current $60 billion agricultural industry, which we hope to grow to $100 billion by the year 2030. Agriculture, on which so many livelihoods and jobs in rural and regional New South Wales depend, is still and always will be a vital pin in our economy. In the north of my home state the current drought is the worst on record, and in the south it is doing everything it can to beat the millennium drought. This government is not turning a blind eye to the devastation of the current drought. We've already taken action to help our drought-affected communities. We are investing over $6.3 billion in drought support. Since the introduction of the farm household allowance in 2014, nearly 12,000 farmers have received assistance through this initiative, and almost 7,000 are receiving the payment now. We've also listened to feedback from those who the farm household allowance is designed to support. We've taken action to streamline the process, reduce red tape, get more financial counsellors on the ground and increase the asset threshold to $5 million to allow more people to access the allowance. We're also going beyond the farm gate. Through the Drought Communities Program, 52 local government areas in New South Wales alone are delivering infrastructure projects and activities to boost their local economy and get money back into the local regions to support local jobs and address local community needs during this drought. We're also looking ahead. The coalition has already legislated the establishment of the Future Drought Fund, which will provide a secure and continuous revenue stream to be used for drought resilience, preparedness and recovery, to help farmers and communities prepare for future drought. Being based in Deniliquin, between the Murray and Murrumbidgee irrigation districts, I know firsthand what our farmers, businesses and communities in rural and regional New South Wales are experiencing and just how important the establishment of a long-term drought strategy is. And that is what the Future Drought Fund is designed to be. Our support for those in the agricultural industries doesn't end there. We're also prioritising the safety of our farmers and farm workers, who've been targeted by animal activists over recent years. With the passage of the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019 just last week, the coalition government have already delivered on our election commitment to take a tough stance against those who trespass on farms and threaten farmers and their families. These new laws send a very clear message to animal activists: if you intend to incite trespass, property damage or theft on agricultural land or associated industries, you risk imprisonment. Also beyond the farm gate, right throughout our regional communities, improving telecommunications services remains a priority of this government. Through our Mobile Black Spot Program, the creation of which was championed by the Nationals, we continue to address black spots throughout rural and regional Australia. We've also announced our intention to amend the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's charter to make sure that the great institution that is the ABC, which plays such an important role in the bush, remains relevant and accessible to rural and regional Australians. The ABC occupies a special place in the lives of regional communities. Over many decades and still to this day its services have informed and entertained in areas where other media options are limited. Indeed, my day continues to start, every day, listening to my local ABC rural report, although now I don't have to rely on radio and I can listen to it live streamed. Through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Rural and Regional Measures) Bill 2019, we will deliver a range of measures to support and cement the important role of the ABC and ensure the ABC continues to meet the diverse needs of rural and regional Australia. As a result, hopefully we will see a change in focus—a little less Ultimo and a little bit more Ulladulla or Urana. This government is also committed to improving the health of people living outside our cities. We have 13 new cancer centres to be opened in the regions and more than 3,000 new doctors, and the same number of nurses, to be supported into regional and general practice in the coming decade. Each year one in five Australians over the age of 16 experience mental illness, and for young people that rate is even higher, affecting just over a quarter of all Australians aged between 16 and 24. As the only New South Wales senator based west of the great divide, this is an issue I care passionately about. In the rural, regional and remote communities of New South Wales, access to mental health services and professional support is limited. While there is a great commitment there by our professional allied health industries, it is difficult to sometimes get the help you need. There is so much to love about the country's lifestyle, but the reality is that each and every day people living in the bush face a range of stressors unique to living outside capital cities, and we need people to understand. That's why the government is investing in improving mental health services across Australia, including rural and regional communities. Almost $740 million will be invested into youth mental health and suicide prevention services, with 30 new headspace centres to be opened across Australia. The success of headspace cannot be understated, and this service does succeed in reducing wait times while making more counselling services that are specifically tailored to young Australians available to young Australians. The coalition government has an ambitious plan for rural and regional Australia, and over this term of parliament we will deliver that plan—indeed, we already are. We are delivering new infrastructure, we are investing in services and we are caring for those who need it most. In closing, I want to restate my appreciation to all those who played a role in helping the coalition, and indeed the Nationals, secure the result that it did at this year's federal election, particularly the hundreds of volunteers of the New South Wales Nationals who came out to support us in the lead-up to and on election day. For many years, many have been predicting the demise of the Nationals, but instead, in just 26 days time, the New South Wales Nationals will begin its centenary year—one hundred years of delivering for rural and regional Australia. Our party's longevity is due to the efforts of our members and our volunteers. In campaigning for the Senate, I ventured far and wide across New South Wales, travelling both sides of the great divide, from country to coast; north to south. I saw firsthand our members and volunteers hard at work helping our members and candidates fighting hard to secure another term in government for the Nationals in coalition. Without their efforts, we would not have the enormous privilege of serving the government and delivering on our agenda for growing rural and regional Australia. To our members and volunteers, I say thank you.