Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

We are moving from loans to grants. That's what the states and territories wanted; they wanted the money in grants, preferably, rather than loans, and that's what we're doing. And we're working with the New South Wales government, for Dungowan and Wyangala. Originally, we said we would do those two particular projects as a loans process. The New South Wales government wants it as grants and so we are going to build those dam infrastructure projects with New South Wales as grants. The difference that will make to inland New South Wales is the equivalent of 1.2 Sydney Harbours of inland water for flood mitigation, for water security for towns, for irrigation and to ensure that we can grow agriculture from a $61 billion enterprise to $100 billion—the goal for 2030.

That's what we're doing right through Queensland, whether it's at Emu Swamp Dam in the electorate of the member for Maranoa—and I know how hard Brent Finlay has worked to achieve the money that irrigators have put up for that particular project: $23.4 million of irrigators' own money. And we've put up $48 million, $6 million of which has been enabling roads. And I welcome being able to work with the new water minister in Queensland, given the fact that Anthony Lynham has retired. I look forward to working with the new minister to achieve that dream which has been on the books for way too long. We are building it, because it takes a Liberal-Nationals government to build water infrastructure, and that's what we're doing.

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