Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

First, I would just like to correct the previous member. The minister is actually announcing the criteria on the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility today, where the member's colleagues are, up in Darwin.

I would like to thank my colleague the member for Dawson for putting up this private member's motion today. It allows us to reflect on our government's push to develop northern Australia and to reflect on key water projects that should be considered in this process. In terms of economic potential, northern Australia is really our nation's next pioneer frontier. Our North has enormous untapped potential, but it needs an injection of infrastructure and investment. The official appointment of a new minister for northern Australia—the Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia—is proof that our government is serious about the long-term economic value that this part of Australia has to offer. Recently, I was delighted to host a visit by the minister to Rockhampton.

Today, I too join the member for Dawson in congratulating the coalition government on its support of development in north and central Queensland with the white paper on developing northern Australia. This paper, combined with our government's white paper on agricultural competitiveness, endorses the need for water infrastructure in northern Australia through a $500 million National Water Infrastructure Development Fund. In addition, there is a $5 billion northern Australia infrastructure loans facility to allow major investors to access funds to build new projects.

But the development of our North hinges on a commodity that none of us can do without, and that is water. My electorate of Capricornia begins at the city of Rockhampton and takes in a vast area to Mackay and inland Queensland and as far north as Collinsville. There are three key water infrastructure projects that I would like to see developed there in the coming years under the push to develop northern Australia: the Eden Bann and Rookwood weirs, near Rockhampton; Connors River Dam, near Sarina and Moranbah; and the Urannah Dam, near Mackay. Raising the wall at Eden Bann Weir, near Rockhampton, and building a new weir at Rookwood would open up a new agricultural corridor on the Fitzroy River, the second largest catchment area of its type in Australia. I continue to push for these projects to get federal backing.

Eventually, we also need to proceed with Connors River Dam in the Isaac regional shire. This project is shovel-ready. Right now this project has been put on hold due to the coal-mining downturn, as it requires mining investors to support its construction financially.

Another significant project that needs to be funded in the push to develop Northern Australia is the Urannah Dam, 60 kilometres south-west of Proserpine. According to regional economic group, Bowen Collinsville Enterprise, or BCE, the Urannah Dam could be used for organic horticulture and organic sugar production, as well as for coal mining in the Bowen Basin and to supply electricity for the town of Collinsville. Collinsville has been hit by the local coal downturn and needs a boost. BCE is adamant that Urannah would give Collinsville a new lease of life by offering new irrigation industries and employment opportunities.

I join the member for Dawson in calling on the government to support the construction of the Urannah Dam under the Northern Australia process. Such a dam would open up new agricultural land, with the potential to triple the current cane production industry in the region and double the size of other agricultural production. And, importantly, it has the potential to double the current agriculture workforce in the region. It is estimated that the dam has the capacity to generate $323 million over 25 years and, as I said, would help to repopulate the Collinsville community and give a major boost to business in the area.

Of course, this project requires the support of federal, state and local governments, especially in allowing private investment to be part of the project. I have been to Collinsville—it is in the far north of my electorate—and have spoken to local people and local business owners. And I have been to meetings about the Urannah Dam. The community is adamant that the development of Urannah Dam and a power station at Collinsville will provide a new lease of life to this once-booming coal region. I therefore commend this private member's bill to the House today.

Debate adjourned.

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