Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Whilst unfortunately he did not get an opportunity to complete reading the question, I understand that he is referring to the Alpha Coal Project in Queensland. This project has not received all the approvals in terms of environmental requirements at this point in time, but I think the question was going to whether or not the company had applied for an Enterprise Migration Agreement. The answer to the question is no.

Still, given the importance of this project, the member appropriately raised the question of employment, which is of the utmost importance to the government. This project potentially represents 3,600 new jobs in construction. More importantly, in production it represents 1,000 high-skilled, well-paid jobs for Australians. My responsibility is to continue to meet with GVK Hancock Coal , as I have in the past.

The question also went, as I understood it, to whether or not Gina Rinehart would be able to apply for an Enterprise Migration Agreement. Firstly, she is not the major investor. She is a minor investor at 21 per cent. The major investor is GVK out of India and, as a devotee of the former Premier of Queensland Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who opened up foreign investment for the purposes of developing the coal regions in Queensland, I am sure that he would welcome a new investor, GVK, out of India.

Mr Katter interjecting—

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