Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to let the member for Richmond know that she owes me when she does get to the chamber! I would like to make a couple of points in relation to this. The first is that I support the legislation. I will tell you why. A couple of issues have arisen in Townsville. One is with respect to the delay of a major development of a residential estate. The cause for the delay has always been the black-throated finch. They spent about $5,000 getting the approvals from the local government. They spent about $50,000 getting approvals from the state government. They were up to about $1.6 million still trying to get approvals from the federal government during the last parliament, when we at last saw some movement on that. So when you look at what has to be done with the three levels of government you see the complications arise.

The other issue arose in relation to a sandmining lease down at Cungulla. Friends of mine have bought a sandmining lease between two operating sand mines, and with exactly the same purpose. Two small business men bought this lease with their superannuation. The sandmining lease had on it a poplar gum. The poplar gum was the only known food source of the bare-rumped sheathtail bat. Yes, the bare-rumped sheathtail bat! No-one has ever seen one in north Queensland but they had to prove that this thing could not come back because it was the only known food source for it. It was like trying to disprove a potential alien landing site.

These guys were held up by the federal end of the legislation for over 12 years, even though they were between two existing businesses doing exactly the same thing. That is why we have to have this legislation. It is not about the federal government abnegating or moving away from imposing federal laws; it is about giving ordinary business people opportunities to have simple processes and a one-stop shop. You still have to pass federal legislation, and all the things that the federal legislation does, but you only have to do it in one place; you do not have to keep going back, finding things more and more complicated. That is why I support this legislation. I think the minister, Greg Hunt, has done a fantastic job in getting this thing done.

We have cause for concern when we do not have the right people in the right jobs. A uranium mine is being discussed around Townsville. We have to make sure that it is still going to be looked at and that it is going to be taken very seriously. It still has to pass federal legislation; it is just that it is a one-stop shop. That is what members opposite seem not to understand. I was holding the fort, so I thank the House.

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