Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am excited to support the member for Capricornia's motion calling on state government commitment to vital water infrastructure. Water is life, water is production and water is money. We live in one of the driest continents on the planet. Despite this, agriculture is one of our largest sectors for employment: GDP of $63.8 billion and an export value of $48.7 billion.

We all know farm production needs three commodities: sunlight, soil and water. The Lower Fitzroy region, in my electorate of Flynn, is ideally placed for water infrastructure. It has excellent and various soils, reasonable rainfall and tonnes of sunlight. There is a reason it is called the beef cattle of Australia: it has improved pastures and grain crops that support our feedlots. With more irrigation water available, more production and value can be achieved in the horticultural industry—helping citrus, blueberries, almonds and macadamias—and also in small crops and turf.

It is estimated that a project like the Rookwood Weir would see an agricultural boom in the region worth at least $1 billion per annum. It is all about jobs. Rookwood Weir promises 200 to 400 construction jobs and 2,100 ongoing jobs, with the agricultural boom to follow. Federal environmental approvals have been cleared. Build it, and the farmers will come. The question is: why doesn't the state government want to do this? That is for the state government to answer. The coalition has committed $130 million, half of the construction costs of Rookwood Weir, pending the result of the business case to be run by the state government. The sooner this case is developed and announced the better. The state government can make the most of this and have the commitment ready to go.

The member for Capricornia and I have been advocates of the Rookwood Weir for some time, but it does need to progress asap. We should be sticking up for our constituents and, what is more, jobs. Jobs and prosperity are what the Rookwood Weir will bring to Central Queensland. In the past $1 billion has been spent on desalination plants, and they have produced nothing whatsoever, whereas a weir will bring lasting benefits to the region. We have to change our attitude.

I am proud to second this motion because my electorate of Flynn is littered with similar beneficial projects. Some of them are already there, some are in the pipeline, and some need to be funded. The Fairbairn Dam on the Nogoa River near Emerald is a case in point. It has produced so much since it was built between 1968 to 1972—that is how long it took to build. It has revolutionised farming in the Emerald area. We now grow cotton, citrus, table grapes, sunflowers and corn. The developing macadamia industry is a crop of the future, with demand outstripping supply at the moment. So, if you want to go into farming, I suggest macadamias in the Central Highlands. It has made the Emerald economy far more diverse and sustainable. Agriculture is still highly important to that area despite the enormous economic benefits of the coal mines. Coal mines do use water, and they also share in the benefits of having the Fairbairn Dam close by.

Coalstoun Lakes is another area in my electorate that would benefit hugely from a good supply of water. They have very rare earth, and quality crops could be grown in the 6,000 to 7,000 hectares of beautiful red soil. In South Burnett we have Boondooma Dam, which is under pressure now—and let's hope that the rain will come and fill it to capacity. But, until that happens, the farmers of the North Burnett will have their supply cut. Actually, the Tarong Power Station is now getting water out of the Boondooma Dam instead of the pipeline from the Wivenhoe Dam, which was damaged in the 2011 floods. If we can get that pipeline repaired, it will give more water security to the farmers of North Burnett. (Time expired)

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