Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and begin by acknowledging the terrible fire in Winton overnight which has destroyed the Winton Waltzing Matilda Centre. It was a really important collection of historical Australian memorabilia. I was with the honourable member just a couple of months ago, and we opened a special ANZAC exhibition. As a result of this fire, I understand, a lot of that collection, which is priceless history of our country, has also been lost. At a time when the town is suffering from drought, this is another tragic blow to the people of Winton and the district.

There is at least some good news because today the government has released its white paper on Northern Australia. It is a blueprint and a plan for action to deliver on the potential of the north. People have been talking about the north and its potential for generations, and a lot has been achieved. It does contribute mightily to our national economy—around half of our exports come from those parts—but only one million of our population live there presently. There is real opportunity for this tropical part of our country to be closely linked with other tropical countries. We have the potential to be leaders in research, agriculture, medicine and education for what is the tropical sector of the globe, which makes up about 40 per cent of the world's population and will be 50 per cent by about 2050. This is an action plan. It is backed by resources to help make a difference and to deliver the infrastructure, stability and confidence that will be necessary to attract the kind of investment that is going to be necessary for that achievement.

The Prime Minister has already mentioned some of the really significant parts of this package. There is an extra $700 million for roads, which is a commitment to many of the roads in that area that are below the standard that other people in the continent would expect. We are also committing to a feasibility study to build the Tennant Creek-Mount Isa railway line and to upgrade the Mount Isa-Townsville line, a vital transport link in those regions. There are commitments for $200 million worth of work as a part of our broader water infrastructure white paper to build and to do feasibility studies on some of the major water conservation projects in the region. There is a commitment to a new CRC for tropical research, medicine and agriculture, and I think that can help focus scientific endeavour in the north and make a difference in broadening its economy. So this is a significant package that delivers a lot of good news, hope and opportunity for people in the North. But, as it grows, our whole continent, our whole country, will be the better, the richer and the more capable of delivering the lifestyle, services and facilities we want as a nation.

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