Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, Leader of the National Party, and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth inform the House how the Morrison-McCormack government's strong economic management is providing water security to regional Australia?

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

I don't have my talking points. I think they went to the member for Hunter, because the member for Hunter is very much on board with our climate policies—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members will not hold up props.

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

and our climate targets! He obviously got the talking points last week—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will pause for a second.

Honourable members interjecting—

Members will cease interjecting.

Honourable members interjecting—

I'm just saying: you've had your moment of fun. If you continue to hold up props, I won't get all of you, but I'll get some of you! The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank my fellow dam-builder, the member for New England. He was there yesterday at Dungowan Dam, and 3½ kilometres downstream on the Dungowan Creek from where we stood yesterday with the Prime Minister; with the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian; and with the Deputy Premier of New South Wales and the New South Wales Nationals leader, John Barilaro. We stood there and we announced the $480 million for the 22½-gigalitre Dungowan Dam. As the member for New England knows and talked about yesterday, in 1958 the Dungowan Dam was built, and we are now going to replace it. The Mayor of Tamworth, Col Murray, was absolutely delighted, and he said that this is going to help drought-proof the Peel Valley for the future.

My fellow dam-builder knows how important this announcement is. He knows that we're putting $1.1 billion towards additional water infrastructure in this nation. He knows that we've also announced $650 million for the Wyangala Dam. It was first begun in 1928 and completed in 1935—an 85-metre wall. We're going to extend it by 10 metres. That 10 metres is going to provide an additional 650 gigalitres of water storage capacity. Between them, that's equivalent to about 1.2 Sydney Harbours, in inland New South Wales, in the central west and in the dry north-west of New South Wales. That's delivery. That's what the Morrison-McCormack government is getting on and doing. But not only that: we're also providing $12 million for a business case for the Mole River project of 100 gigalitres. So that's a lot of water storage capacity. We're getting on with the job.

If there is one thing I know, it's that when mayors come out and say that these are good projects then we should back them. Bill West, the Mayor of Cowra, was effusive in his praise for the fact that the Wyangala Dam project is going to not only mitigate against flood but also value-add jobs in the construction sector and also in the productivity that it's going to enhance. The Forbes Mayor, Phyllis Miller, also spoke glowingly. She said: 'It's fantastic news.' They understand. And she, of all people, understands the 42 days of closure of the Newell Highway between Forbes and West Wyalong in 2016 and what that meant. But if those opposite could do one thing, it's to pick up the phone to their Queensland and Victorian colleagues and tell them to get on board with the Liberal-Nationals government and build more dams!

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith is warned.