Portfolio — 12 May 2026

Minister McBain used both her budget media releases and a House debate on 12 May to detail the 2026–27 Budget's $12.1 billion commitment to transport and regional infrastructure. The media releases led with headline allocations — $3.8 billion for the Suburban Rail Loop East, $1.75 billion for freight-rail upgrades, and a $14.8 billion Australian Fuel Security and Resilience package — while her parliamentary contribution translated those figures into direct regional benefit: doubled Roads to Recovery funding, permanent instant asset write-off for small business, halved fuel excise, and the procurement of 250,000 tonnes of agriculture-grade urea for the planting season.

Across both streams, the Minister framed the investment as a response to global supply-chain uncertainty, with fuel and fertiliser security emerging as a consistent cross-portfolio signal alongside the infrastructure spend.