Mr KELVIN THOMSON (2:21 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads. I refer the minister to his previous answer concerning the Tumbi Creek Regional Partnerships grant. Can the minister confirm that his department told him that natural flushing of the Tumbi Creek mouth in late 2004 impacted upon the $1.5 million grant for dredging, leading to a likely reduction in the level of Commonwealth funding for the project because full dredging of the mouth was no longer required?

Mr LLOYD (Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads) —I thank the member opposite for his question. I can only state again what I said in answer to the previous question: Regional Partnerships is an excellent program. The dredging of Tumbi Creek was an important project, remains an important project and is a project which was supported by the Labor candidate at the last election, who was running around all over the Central Coast saying, `We support this project.' It is an important project and it is part of a very important Australian government project—Regional Partnerships. I have nothing further to add to my previous answer. Thank you.