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

Regional and rural Australia create real wealth for our nation. In fact, two-thirds of our export earnings come from regional parts of our country. Our coalition government is providing a new $5 billion northern Australia infrastructure facility to unlock even further potential in regional areas like Capricornia. One of the elements that are key to future growth in this part of Central Queensland is the ability to access water for irrigation, industry and urban growth. I am fighting for Commonwealth support to fund decent water infrastructure in Capricornia in the form of weirs and dams. This is an important fight for the people of Capricornia, and I am bringing to the attention of the government and its senior ministers that one of the greatest investments we can make for the future for local jobs and local families in Capricornia will be viable water infrastructure projects.

The predominant area I am talking about is the greater Fitzroy River system, which takes in a huge part of inland Queensland. That is why three federal MPs in Central Queensland will be hosting a Fitzroy water workshop in Rockhampton to enable us to hear detailed cases for competing water project concepts in our region. The workshop on Wednesday, 28 October will be hosted by me and my colleagues the federal member for Flynn, Ken O'Dowd, and the Rockhampton based Senator Matthew Canavan. This workshop will provide various community groups with the opportunity to present their views and evidence on different projects they support. It is vital that we gather as much information about the future use of water from the Fitzroy system as we can so that we can make the best possible arguments when debating water infrastructure spending with federal ministers and government colleagues.

Australia is a big, dry continent and there are various arguments about what weirs or dams should be built across the country. This is especially true in the Fitzroy system. I am particularly keen to hear the options on projects that would boost the Rockhampton and Central Queensland economies and create local jobs, especially projects that can be sensibly supported by local, state and federal governments. The Fitzroy system has the capacity to supply the agricultural, industrial and domestic water needs of a larger area of Central Queensland for future decades to come. The workshop is part of a process to gather information and help ensure that we, as local federal MPs, are as well informed as possible by giving stakeholders and the general public an opportunity to discuss future options. It will discuss a range of issues related to harnessing water from the Fitzroy system. Topics for discussion will include proposals for dams, including the Connors River dam and the controversial Fitzroy Gap dam, and raising the height of Eden Bann weir, Rookwood weir and Nathan dam.

It is a fact that there are more infrastructure projects in Australia than there are funds to construct them. Therefore it is important that expensive projects like dams and water pipelines demonstrate value for money. We recognise at a national level there is fierce competition for the current available funding. Our reasoning for this workshop is to listen to local evidence which will allow us to take the best possible arguments back to Canberra so the Fitzroy system is at the forefront of our minister's mind when the project list for future Australian water infrastructure is drawn up and announced. The aim of the forum is to provide information on potential projects, including water needs and capacity, challenges, benefits and costs, and to hear stakeholder views. The Fitzroy water workshop will be held on Wednesday 28 October from 2 to 5 pm at Central Queensland University, CQIRP Agriculture Conference Centre in Ibis Avenue, North Rockhampton. Seating is limited and people wanting to attend must register by Wednesday 21 October by emailing senator.canavan@aph.gov.au.