[originaltext]W: Is that part of the difficulty too, that the roads and bridges

W: Is that part of the difficulty too, that the roads and bridges weren’t designed for some semi-trailers, let alone B-doubles?
M: (6) Well, indeed, in respect of bridges, during the campaign, the Coalition announced a program specifically to deal with bridges, and that’ll be something that the Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss will be shortly talking more about. We will have a specific bridge program to upgrade bridges in regional areas. And, your listeners in New South Wales know that those bridges which were, as you say, built many years ago, are now carrying significant loads, which we want them to carry.
W: Well, what do you want our regions to do?
M: We want our regions to do better; we want our regions to be sending more of our high quality primary produce to ports to get onto ships, to export overseas, and to do that we need the most effective road network. (8-1) And the Australian Government’s committing to spending significant amounts to upgrade major roads, in Sydney, for instance, we’re committing $1.5 billion, as part of the WestConnex proposal, which has an impact on our freight capacity, of course, getting our stuff to airports and to ports. (7) But this program, while it’s small, makes a significant contribution to our regional development because it ensures we get productive capacity on many roads which are suffering from substandard infrastructure. And, what I’ve asked John Cobb to do is to lead this committee and get the best value for the money that we allocate each year.
W: Should the business sector, businesses that set up in certain areas be asked to help fund roads?
M: (9/10-1) Well, indeed they are on some occasions, and part of the challenge the country has, as both state and federal governments deal with Labor’s debt, is to increasingly find ways to attract private sector investment. Sometimes that’s through pricing. (8-2) The private sector is involved in the WestConnex project, and is incentivized to be involved. So, of course, in that instance, it’s attractive to both federal, state governments, but also the private sector, and (10-2) we’ll increasingly be looking at ways to attract private sector investment into our important economic infrastructure.
W: All right, it’s time to end today’s program. Thank you, Jamie. Thanks for talking with us.
M: My pleasure.
This is the end of Part Two of the interview. Questions 6 to 10 are based on what you have just heard.
6. What will the Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss be shortly talking more about?
7. Why can the WestConnex project contribute a lot to the local economy?
8. Which of the following is mentioned about the WestConnex proposal?
9. What can we know about the role of the business sector in the program?
10. Which of the following statements is CORRECT about private investment in economic infrastructure?