David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with pride that I speak to this motion today on the government's commitment to the Building Better Regions Fund. For the people of Maranoa, an electorate that covers 42 per cent of the state of Queensland, and particularly for those in rural and regional areas, this has been a boon. During the roll-out of the Building Better Regions Fund we have seen, only in the last round, an announcement of just under $5 million for a new cold storage facility in Warwick that will bring 150 new direct jobs, 138 indirect jobs and 80 jobs during construction. This is a significant investment in the community of the Southern Downs. It is also a sign of faith in rural and regional Australia. To bring more than 200 new families to a community of just over 12,000 people is a significant change in the economic make-up of that community.

We are proud to say that rural and regional Australia has a future, because if we have a strong rural and regional Australia we have a strong nation. My electorate alone, Maranoa, contributes more to the GDP per capita than Townsville, Toowoomba or the Gold Coast. That is without taking into account the three coal-fired power stations that generate more than 50 per cent of the state's electricity. That is all coming out of my electorate of Maranoa—rural and regional Australia. All this is important investment, and we can couple that with another investment out in Morven for a rail hub, worth just over $4 million, to bring cattle in from the west, to provide security for those people in rural and regional Australia who are in the cattle industry. It will also provide them with more competition, because if we can move their product then we will have competitors wanting to bring in their product. If we have got Oakey Beef wanting to secure this hub and bring cattle in on the train, rather than on trucks, it will also mean that Oakey Beef's competitors will be looking to secure supply for their abattoirs. This is a real economic boon for the people of Morven, a little town of only a couple of hundred people. This investment will bring a rail hub to Morven that will ensure we can bring in cattle from all over this nation.

The other investment we've made is a $204-million investment in aged care in Blackbutt, a little community in the South Burnett. Two hundred thousand dollars will go towards independent living for those who are disadvantaged—for those who are unable to afford to get into one of dearer aged-care facilities. In this small community, we are giving people options and choice so that they don't have to leave. They can still have their family around them and have the dignity and respect in their ageing years to be able to stay and be part of that community. It's an important investment in that community.

Previously, our government proudly invested in the rebuilding of the Waltzing Matilda Centre, which burnt down some two or three years ago. I have to call out Mayor Butch Lenton—an absolute outback legend. This is a mayor who leads. He doesn't make his community a victim; he gets on with the job. He's fought droughts; he's fought fires. The man is a leader, and he's a leader who every Australian should be proud of. In the little outback town of Winton, with just over a thousand-odd people, he is helping to rebuild the Waltzing Matilda Centre—a national iconic centre that every Australian should be proud of. It will bring new jobs to that community. Winton has nearly 50,000 visitors a year, in tourism, to the Waltzing Matilda Centre and the Age of Dinosaurs museum. It is a significant investment in that community, because we are diversifying the economic base of Winton to not only rely on agricultural but also rely on tourism—to put another pillar in that local economy. That's an important investment in that community. Ensuring 40,000 to 50,000 visitors a year go to a small town that has a population of only a thousand people is a significant investment that will ensure that community has greater resilience as we move forward. It will also ensure that we continue to look at this as an investment in rural and regional Australia.

We understand that, if we make that investment, we are the economic engine room of this nation. We understand that, if we invest in rural and regional Australia, we will continue to ensure that the whole nation's economy benefits. We are the ones who are putting the product on the boats that are empty once they bring their stuff into this country. We proudly, as a government, have sought to ensure the security of and investment in rural and regional Australia because it makes economic sense. I'm proud that this motion has been put forward. I thank the member for Fisher, Mr Wallace, for putting it forward. It's an important one for rural and regional Australia.

See this speech in context