Hansard debates

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) — The Council of Australian Governments ignores the place-based threat of terror in postcodes of disadvantage at our peril. The need is critical and urgent for a coordinated strategy between the three tiers of government, business and civil society to address such concerns where they are needed most. This is why I renew my call for the Australian government to be a partner in the Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope strategy, which features a coordinated plan, including a city deal centred on the electorate of Broadmeadows, struggling under deindustrialisation in a time of terror.

Evidence is compelling that a coordinated strategy can no longer be ignored. The Andrews government recently established a suburban development portfolio and appointed me chair of a Broadmeadows revitalisation board to advise on opportunities. I renew my call for the Turnbull government to reinvest at least part of the unspent $1.324 billion from the automotive transformation scheme in Melbourne's north, in a collaboration with the Victorian government and the private sector, as a catalyst for jobs and growth, and to be a partner in delivering the strategy Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope. This provides the blueprint for a city deal to leverage the Australian government's $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs program, supporting projects that apply innovation and smart technology solutions to urban problems.

I have just received a response from the Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation, Angus Taylor, who said:

I read Creating Opportunity: Postcodes of Hope with interest, and was impressed by the depth of thought it shows about the issues facing the Broadmeadows community. The fast-growing suburbs of our major cities are where many of the major challenges facing our cities are most keenly felt.