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

I want to focus now on the northern part of my electorate of Capricornia. Recently, I was joined by Senator Matthew Canavan and Senator James McGrath at the launch of my new office in Sarina. The shopfront, believed to be the first federal MP's office to be based in the town, is located at the Sarina Beach Road Shopping Centre. I promised to establish a second Capricornia electorate office outside Rockhampton during the last election campaign. I am now proving that I am listening and delivering to northern constituents.

Capricornia is an enormous area with a land mass of 91,049 square kilometres. The northern part of our electorate is an important economic hub, taking in West Mackay, Sarina, the beautiful Pioneer Valley area and, further inland, Nebo and the central Queensland coalfields. This area is the home of central Queensland's sugar and shipping belt and represents an important part of the state's economy. I am honoured to work hard for the people in this area of the electorate. The work I do means better deals for mums and dads, small business owners and farmers in this region. For this group, I was among those to lobby for tax cuts and tax depreciation reforms in the recent federal budget that resulted in the most significant package aimed at growing small business in 50 years.

I am not afraid to take a stand for the people in this part of my electorate when there is a clear disadvantage in policies and programs—for example, on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement with countries like the United States, which diminished the role of our Queensland sugar industry. I called it for what it was—an unfair deal. I asked for a halt to these talks until Queensland sugar interests were better represented. I will not allow sugar to be dismissed so easily.

I am also not afraid of pushing for a fair go when it comes to improved services for bush people, such as mobile phone black spots. Some of the constituents who contacted me on this topic had such poor mobile and digital coverage that their local school took up to 20 hours to download the curriculum. I am pleased that our federal government is funding a new mobile base station at Gargett in the Pioneer Valley under our $100 million Mobile Black Spot Program. There will also be improvements in coverage along the stretch of the Bruce Highway between Marlborough and Sarina.

Northern Capricornia roads have also benefited from my hard work. I have lobbied solidly for repairs, enhancements and developments to local roads and highways to the value of $209.5 million. This includes $35 million to replace four old bridges between Mackay and Nebo with concrete structures and $166 million to fix a deadly stretch of the Peak Downs Highway near Eton. We have also constructed $8.5 million of new overtaking lanes on the Bruce Highway between Koumala and Sarina under federal funding to make the highway safer and save lives.

I relish my role not just because of the difference I can make but also because I get to meet everyday Aussies like the Sarina RSL sub-branch. Brendan Maguire and his committee received federal funding of $21,000 to publish a local history book titled More Than Just a Name. The book depicts the lives and service history of men and women from the Sarina region who served in World War I. As well, west of Mackay in the Pioneer Valley is the township of Marian, where the Australian government contributed $500,000 towards the newly revamped Edward Lloyd Park. It is a great stop for locals and travellers. I also announced an overhaul in incentives to attract doctors to rural communities. The fairer system means 10 rural towns in my electorate, including Marian, Hay Point and Sarina, will now find it easier to attract GPs to their rural communities.

I am always listening to what people have to say, so I am officially launching a period of electorate-wide listening tours. On Monday, I will be kicking off my 'all ears' listening tour around Capricornia, starting in Sarina, Clermont and Middlemount. I am, to use the expression, 'all ears', listening to any issues people have to raise. Joining me will be Queensland Senator Matthew Canavan. The tour will visit Sarina at 5.30 on Monday, 21 September, at the Bob Wood Cultural Hall; Clermont at 5.30 on Tuesday the 22nd, at the Commercial Hotel on Capella Street; and Middlemount at 10.30 on Wednesday, 23 September, at the Catholic Church Hall on Howard Jones Drive. Visit my Facebook site for RSVP details. Thank you.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Member for Capricornia, and congratulations on your new office.