Election 2025: Peter Dutton unveils $600m for rural roads

Peter Dutton has announced the funding to upgrade key roads to make it easier for farmers and miners to transport their products.

Peter Dutton on Wednesday. Picture: Thomas Lisson / NewsWire

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Peter Dutton has unveiled a fresh bid to win over West Australians, announcing more than half a billion dollars in funding to upgrade key roads to make it easier for farmers and miners to transport their products.

Following a blitz of suburban Melbourne seats on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Opposition Leader flew to Perth and announced he would spend $600m to establish a national “agriculture and mining roads program” in what he described was a recognition of the contribution the state made to the ­economy.

“Australia relies on the strength of our mining and agricultural sectors – but they can’t operate at full potential when the roads connecting them to markets are not up to scratch,” Mr Dutton said. “That’s why this announcement is so important to WA infrastructure and investment.”

While focusing on the benefit the program would pose for WA, Mr Dutton said the $600m in funding would be available to all states and territories.

He did not specify which roads would be upgraded and instead ­declared that a Coalition government would first meet with representatives of the trucking, farming and mining industries to identify the priority projects.

WA catapulted Labor to victory in 2022, with the party enjoying an average swing of 11 per cent while the Coalition lost seats including Pearce, Hasluck, Tangney and Swan. The Opposition is hoping to win at least one of those seats back, along with Curtin, which was flipped at the last election by teal independent Kate Chaney.

While WA has had a Labor state government since 2017, premiers are still suspicious of federal Labor policy that could have a negative on them – including any changes to GST and environmental reform that could undermine the integral mining sector.

Mr Dutton said his party ­wanted WA “to continue to be the powerhouse of the national ­economy”.

“We need a government in Canberra that plays to WA’s strengths, not works against it,” he said. “Unfortunately, crucial industries like mining and agriculture are under threat from an Albanese Labor government that is more interested in appeasing inner-city Greens activists, than the prosperity of our nation.”

Mr Dutton made the announcement following a campaign event in the northern suburban seat of Pearce, currently held on an 8.8 per cent margin by former Wanneroo mayor Tracey Roberts. The Coalition is running a former member of the Royal Australian Air Force, Jan Norberger, in the seat. The adjoining electorate of Moore is also a concern for the ­Coalition, after the sitting member Ian Goodenough announced he would run as an independent after being defeated for Liberal preselection last year.

Anthony Albanese visited Perth earlier this week and announced a multimillion-dollar upgrade to the Midland hospital.