Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are two competing—people don't realise they are competing—proposals for delivering water to Townsville and developing North Queensland. One is to raise the Burdekin Falls Dam. The state government is promoting the raising of Burdekin Falls Dam because it stops all development over 30 per cent of North Queensland. All of the water from the great Burdekin River—the No. 3 river in Australia—covering 30 per cent, maybe 40 per cent, of the North Queensland surface area will be used to produce electricity for a few hours a day, and a very small amount of electricity at that. In contrast, Hells Gate will provide baseload power to carry the entire North Queensland grid now and forever, which is something we've been fighting for for 60 years.

Secondly, there is the cost to Townsville. The length of the pipeline to the Paluma existing pipeline is 35 kilometres. The distance to Burdekin Falls is 95 kilometres—three times the cost. Hells Gate is 1,200 feet up, so the water is delivered through hydroelectric generators to Townsville. Turn on the tap and you make money. Turn on the tap and, if it comes from Burdekin Falls, you have to pay money because you have to pump it against— (Time expired)