HOST: It's the 500th episode of the Waterboys. Brent Costelloe, Blair Brownless and Cam Brown with you. And we've had some big name guests join us over our 500 episode journey. But we've arguably saved our most important for today. He's been part of our country's Federal Parliament since 1996 and last year became the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. It's my pleasure to announce that Anthony Albanese is joining us on the Waterboys. Prime Minister, good morning, and thanks so much for celebrating our special milestone with us.

MICHAEL ROWLAND, HOST: PM, good morning and happy Lunar New Year to you.

NATALIE BARR, HOST: Good morning, and welcome to Sunrise for the first time in 2023.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning.

BARR: What exactly will Australians be voting for in the referendum?

BEN FORDHAM, HOST: Well, the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is joining us live on the line for the first time in 2023. Prime Minister, good morning to you.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Good to be with you.

JAMES VALENTINE, HOST: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, joins us this morning. It is eight months since Labor won the Federal election and Anthony Albanese became the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. Lots of people texting us already with questions we want to raise. So, we'll get straight into it. Anthony Albanese, good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Good to be with you.

VALENTINE: Good to be with you. We were just pointing out that it's the Year of the Rabbit in the Lunar New Year this year.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.

It is a solemn honour to be with you today. Even with the passage of 46 years, the anniversary of the Granville Train Disaster sits so heavily in the soul of the nation.

Six years after the NSW Parliament made its apology to the victims, survivors and first responders, I am grateful to have this moment to extend my sorrow and regret to everyone whose life was changed utterly and tragically that day.

One of New South Wales' most historic roads is set for an overhaul, with the Australian Government committing $100 million for safety works on Bells Line of Road.

The funding will allow for safety upgrades, such as overtaking lanes, making for a safer journey for the thousands of locals and tourists who use the scenic route between the Blue Mountains and Richmond each day.

Stretching from Richmond in the east to Bell in the west, the road was heavily impacted by extreme weather in March 2021 and subsequent bouts of record rainfall.

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN, MEMBER FOR MACQUARIE: I am Susan Templeman, the Federal Member for Macquarie. And it is lovely to have the Premier, the Prime Minister, the State Roads Minister and my Hawkesbury State Member here. And we are not even in the middle of a disaster. It is wonderful to be here to talk about something really positive. And that is continuing to improve the safety of this very key road that runs behind us, the Bells Line of Road. So, I'm delighted that we are able to do something positive for a community that has a lot of heavy trucks that use this road.

The Australian Government is fast-tracking its commitment to upgrade one of the nation’s busiest highways, accelerating $80 million in funding to the Pacific Highway – Wyong Town Centre project.

The contribution will help the NSW Government to expedite delivery of this priority project on the Central Coast.

The $420 million project will upgrade the Pacific Highway through Wyong, duplicating the highway between Johnson Road and Cutler Drive.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thank you for welcoming us here. And to the men and women of the Second Royal Pacific Island Regiment, I want to say thank you for welcoming us here, myself as the Australian Prime Minister and my delegation, the Minister Pat Conroy and Senator Nita Green who travelled with me on this occasion along with our High Commissioner and other Australian representatives. We have earlier this morning travelled from Port Moresby to Wewak in order, firstly, to pay our respects and to pay our tribute to Michael Somare through his family here in Wewak.