Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann has thanked constituents for re-electing him at the Federal Election held on the weekend and has outlined his agenda for the region.

“I want to thank the people of Blair for putting their faith in me to continue to represent them in our Federal Parliament.

“I’m Ipswich through and through, and it’s a great honour to represent this rural and regional seat in Queensland for a sixth straight term.

“I want to thank my many local volunteers and supporters also, who campaigned so hard to help elect an Albanese Government.

“Given we now have a Federal Labor Government in power, I am keen to deliver my local election commitments as soon as possible, and I will continue to work hard and fight for a better future for our community.

“I know Blair is one of the fastest growing regions in the country, so we need to be investing in jobs and infrastructure for the future,” he said.

The newly elected Labor Government will deliver more than $82 million in local commitments for the Western Corridor, including a number of initiatives for the booming Greater Springfield area that will be jointly delivered with the Federal Member for Oxley Milton Dick.

These comprise $12.5 million for Springfield BioPark to grow advanced medical manufacturing, supporting up to 1,000 jobs, $3.5 million for a new India House cultural centre, $2 million for the Ipswich to Springfield rail line business case, and $100,000 to upgrade facilities for Prep students at Springfield Central State School.

These commitments build on a range of transport and community infrastructure projects across Ipswich, the Somerset Region and Karana Downs area, including:

• $20 million to upgrade North Ipswich Stadium to allow the venue to host NRL and A-League matches
• $4 million to upgrade the Ipswich Showgrounds, including $2.5 million for general upgrades and $1.5 million to improve amenities that can be utilised by the emergency relief centre during natural disasters
• $10 million to plan the next stage of the Ipswich Motorway upgrade, which will benefit commuters in Blair
• $2.2 million in local school upgrades, including:
  • $2 million for a Community Sports Hub and new basketball courts at Ipswich State High School
  • $60,000 for a new Prep-safe playground at Brassall State School.
  • $15,000 for an upgraded audio-visual system at the Karalee State School community hall
• $3 million for flood recovery and resilience projects along the Bremer River and its tributaries to improve flood resilience, water quality and environmental values in our urban waterways along the river and its creeks
• $5 million for an Ipswich Veteran Hub to provide local services for veterans and their families
• A new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic to take pressure off the Ipswich Hospital Emergency Department by providing care from a doctor or nurse for things like sprains, broken bones, stitches, wound care and other minor conditions
• $14 million for a new Head to Health adult mental health centre
• $2.5 million to upgrade Kambu Health Service to support the local Indigenous community
• $2 million to expand the Ipswich Basketball stadium and support the creation of a new basketball court at the Booval stadium
• $1 million the upgrade facilities at the fast-growing Ripley Valley Football Club
• $500,000 to upgrade the Ipswich Hockey fields, including irrigation and lighting
• $20,000 for a new toy library at the Redbank Plains Community Centre.

“I will also ensure the business cases for the Cunningham Highway (Amberley Intersection) upgrade and Mount Crosby Road Interchange upgrade are delivered on time with real solutions.”  

Mr Neumann said that at a national level, the new Albanese Government would be focused on implementing its agenda for a better tomorrow.

“This includes helping families with the cost of living through stronger Medicare and cheaper childcare, boosting wages and job security, investing in local industries and jobs, fixing aged care, rebuilding the NBN and mobile phone coverage, and tackling climate change and power prices through renewable energy.

“And, importantly, the new Labor Government will clean up and restore faith in politics with our commitment to a National Anti-Corruption Commission.

“Together, an Albanese Labor Government will ensure a better future for Australia and for Blair,” Mr Neumann said.