Catherine King has been appointed Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, with Carol Brown as Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.
Catherine King will replace Barnaby Joyce as Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.
2 June
The Hon Catherine King has released her first statement as the newly appointed and sworn in Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled,” Ms King said.
“As a regional person myself, I understand how much this portfolio can mean to the lives of Australians across our great country.
“Good infrastructure investment creates jobs, builds opportunity and unlocks economic growth and productivity.
“Resilient and reliable transport is the backbone of the nation. Local government is the closest level of government to the community, delivering the services that Australians rely on.
“From the city to the country, I am determined to see this key economic portfolio play its role in helping to build a better future for all Australians.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues in the states, territories and across local governments to deliver the projects and the reforms that will make a real difference to the lives of all Australians.
“Now, the hard work starts.”
Industry leaders from across different sectors have welcomed the appointments and the opportunity to work with the newly-elected Federal Government to tackle issues with supply chains, civil infrastructure and transportation.
ALC welcomes appointments
The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has welcomed appointments by Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, to the portfolios critical to Australia’s freight and logistics supply chain.
ALC CEO, Brad Williams, welcomed the opportunity to continue discussions with the incoming government on the importance of the supply chain to Australia’s economy.
“This is an important time for the sector and we look forward to working collaboratively with Prime Minister Albanese’s new government,” Mr Williams said.
“We welcome the appointment of Catherine King as Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, ALC has worked closely with Minister King during her time as Shadow Minister and we are confident that her understanding of the industry will serve the sector well.
“In addition, ALC looks forward to working with Senator Carol Brown as Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.
“There is a big task ahead of us with Australia’s urban freight task alone expected to grow by 60 per cent, by 2040.
“We need to focus on shaping tomorrow’s supply chain, today if we are going to stay ahead of this growth.”
“In this term, industry and government need to work ‘hand in glove’ to support the sector in improving safety, productivity and sustainability based on the challenges and lessons learned from the past two years.”
ALC also looks forward to working with Ministers Chris Bowen and Brendan O’Connor in their new roles, given the importance of the energy transition and emissions reduction challenges and current skills shortages in the supply chain.
Civil Contractors Federation welcomes opportunity to work with new minister
Civil Contractors Federation National (CCF) has welcomed the appointment of the Hon. Catherine King MP as the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
CCF is Australia’s peak industry voice for the civil infrastructure sector.
CCF Chief Executive Officer, Chris Melham, said the CCF congratulates Ms King on her appointment and looks forward to working with her and the Government in addressing ongoing infrastructure investment and policy reforms to further strengthen the sector’s ability to contribute to Australia’s economic growth.
“Ms King has held senior roles in both Opposition and Government relating to the transport and infrastructure portfolio and therefore has extensive experience and understanding of the challenges, opportunities and solutions facing the civil infrastructure sector,” Mr Melham said.
“In particular, CCF looks forward to working collaboratively with the incoming Government on its ‘Buy Australian Plan’ which recognises the importance of infrastructure procurement reform to increase Australia’s sovereign capability.
“This important policy, which CCF backed prior to the election, acknowledges the economic benefits of breaking up large contracts where possible to allow tier two, tier three, tier four and smaller SME’s an opportunity to bid for civil infrastructure tenders, and is consistent with findings of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities’ report Government procurement: A sovereign security imperative.
“Front and Centre of infrastructure reform is the immediate need to establish a federally led infrastructure consultative body that provides a seat at the table for industry and government to work collaboratively in addressing the many challenges facing the sector, including procurement reform, the rising cost of materials, skill shortages, and the efficient delivery of Australia’s infrastructure pipeline.”
Australian Airports Association hopes to boost airport industry
The Australian Airports Association (AAA) has congratulated the incoming federal ministry and looks forward to working with them to build on the strengths of the airport industry.
The AAA will be working closely with Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, and Minister for Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, on the key issues facing the sector.
AAA Chief Executive, James Goodwin, said he looked forward to a continued focus on efficient and safe infrastructure that meets the needs of the community and economy.
“The new ministry will provide an opportunity to refocus the policy and regulatory settings for the airport sector at a crucial time to rebuild and recover from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We welcome the opportunity to share our members’ commitment to their passengers and their local communities and we will continue to engage with the incoming government on key issues facing the sector such as security upgrades, aeronautical infrastructure, and further support for regional and remote airports.”
Mr Goodwin also thanked outgoing Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Barnaby Joyce and Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews for their contribution to the sector.