Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to take the opportunity to update the House on a number of major projects in my electorate which are currently under construction or almost at completion. The $20 million Keppel Bay Sailing Club redevelopment in Yeppoon, the $425,000 Collinsville Queensland Country Women's Association hall and the $25 million Alliance Airlines heavy maintenance hangar are not only giving our economy a direct injection during construction but will continue to bring job security well into the future. These projects are just a few which have benefited from over $6 billion funding injected into Capricornia since I was elected in 2013.

Not-for-profit Keppel Bay Sailing Club, located in Yeppoon, was established in 1957 by a small group of keen and passionate sailors who wanted to share their love of the sport with the community. Sixty-five years later, their club has gone from strength to strength, and they are now taking on their next chapter through the redevelopment of their old clubhouse. I secured $20 million for the Keppel Bay Sailing Club and convention centre to move into a new era. The development is set to attract large-scale corporate and sporting events to the Capricorn Coast, bringing with it significant diversification for the business economy and tourism industry.

Located on the spectacular Yeppoon foreshore, with views overlooking the beach and Keppel islands, the new convention centre is set to be the jewel in the crown of the Capricorn Coast. This state-of-the-art facility will put our region on the national stage and provide good job opportunities for locals. More visitors to our region means more heads on beds, more visitors in our cafes and restaurants and more money back into the pockets of local businesspeople. Construction of the new facility began earlier this year, with the old clubhouse now fully demolished in preparation for the new convention centre. Opening of the new Keppel Bay Sailing Club and convention centre is expected in the next 12 to 18 months.

Another development in Capricornia set to open shortly is the highly anticipated Alliance Airlines heavy maintenance facility at Rockhampton Airport. I was delighted to secure $25 million of funding along with a further $30 million Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility loan for the development of this hangar. The new heavy maintenance hangar will allow Alliance to bring the maintenance of their 74 aircraft back to Australian shores. It took 115 hardworking locals to bring the 10,000 square metre structure to life and utilised the many incredible small businesses in the Rockhampton region. In particular, one group of businesses worked together to design, manufacture and install the colossal signage on the hangar. Each individual letter of the word 'Alliance' is four metres tall and is installed 24 metres above the ground. Well done to Signature Signs, Ahrens group engineering, Adnought Sheet Metal Fabrications, Diplocks Powder Coating and CQ Crane Hire for completing the mammoth task. Once operational, the facility will support over 100 jobs, including 25 apprenticeships and traineeships. Many of these will be highly skilled positions and will provide locals with an opportunity to enter an industry that is usually only available to those living in major cities across Australia. The heavy maintenance facility will deliver $30 million back into the Rockhampton economy every year.

Finally, a project close to my heart is the QCWA Collinsville hall. The Country Women's Association is the heart of any regional town. Those of us who live and work in country Australia know just how important is the role the CWA plays in bringing the community together in good times and bad. When the wonderful and passionate women of the QCWA Collinsville branch approached me for help to fund a new hall so they could continue to meet the needs of the Collinsville and Scottville communities, it was a no-brainer. In 2019 I was delighted to announce to the ladies of the QCWA that they would be receiving $325,000 so they could demolish their old, asbestos filled hall and build a new, modern facility that would serve the community well into the future. COVID and builder issues brought a few delays, which unfortunately pushed up the cost of the build. I was only too happy to secure a further $100,000 towards the build. Glencore, the main employer in the Collinsville area, also chipped in over $100,000 to ensure the construction would be completed. In April, I visited communities in the north of Capricornia and spent time in Collinsville to take a look at the progress of the new hall. I was delighted to see the hall was at key-handover stage and the women, as well as the community, were thrilled with their new building. The hall is now Collinsville's newest and best piece of infrastructure. Collinsville locals now have a great location for their dances and fundraising events. I'm told it is even a place for weekly yoga sessions. I am proud of what I have achieved for Capricornia, and I continue to work closely with my community to achieve great things for our region.