Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very thankful for the opportunity to take part in this afternoon's consideration in detail, and I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for being here today to talk about the almost $110 billion in infrastructure spending over the next 10 years that we have put in place. As the Treasurer has said, this is about creating jobs, jobs and more jobs. This infrastructure spend is going to deliver 30,000 new jobs from new projects, building on the 100,000 jobs from existing projects either under construction or in planning nationwide.

But today I want to focus on water infrastructure. We all know that, without water, we cannot grow as a nation. Without water, our farmers cannot provide the food and fibre that we need to keep food on the table and provide the exports that our economy relies on. That's why it's so great to see in this budget that we're getting on with the job of building major new water infrastructure for our nation, both for the current generation and for many generations to come. In this budget there's $2 billion worth of grant funding under the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, which brings our total investment to $3.5 billion.

I want to particularly highlight some of the work that is going on in my part of the world in North Queensland. North Queenslanders are extremely concerned about water security. It would definitely make the top five issues that people are most concerned about when I meet them at market stalls or doorknocking, or when they just come to the office to say hi. This makes sense, because people want to know that, when they go to the supermarket, local produce will be on the shelves every time. They want to know that there still will be livelihoods for our farmers and those living on the land. So I'm very glad to see continuing support for major water infrastructure projects in North Queensland.

There are two projects being managed by the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority, and I know the Deputy Prime Minister is working to get more staff and members located and based in North Queensland, where the authority will be doing its work. These two projects are the Hughenden irrigation scheme, for which we've provides $180 million, and Hells Gates dam, whose business case we've funded. But we're already getting on with one of the major components of the Hells Gates dam, and that is the Big Rocks weir, to which we've committed $30 million.

Big Rocks weir may seem like a relatively small project, but I'm pretty excited about it because not only is it just a couple of hundred kilometres away from Townsville; it will have a significant flow-on effect in my region and will be exporting through our port. This is going to provide 10,000 megalitres of water for local farms in Charters Towers and create more than 200 construction and agricultural jobs. This is exactly the kind of water infrastructure injection we need right now.

Just before the last state election, the Queensland government committed the remaining $30 million needed for the construction of the weir. Unfortunately, they had a condition that they wanted yet another business case. I just want to let the Queensland government know that we do not want to play politics with a second business case after the business case has already been done by Townsville Enterprise and has already found the project is viable. They will be held to account, by not only me but the people of North Queensland, because this is a much needed project with the complete support of our community.

Big Rocks Weir has the potential to be up and running in just a couple of years, and that's why governments of all persuasions and all levels need to get out of the way and let this fantastic project progress. As I said, this is part of the broader Hells Gate scheme and the business case will be finished around the end of this year. What we know already is that it has the potential to create 50,000 hectares of irrigated agriculture and pumped hydro with eight hours of storage. That is fantastic for the region. There is a lot of work being done, but there is a lot of work to do. My question to the minister is: how will the government continue to ensure that we have the water infrastructure that we need both now and into the future?

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