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

We have had the worst flooding—maybe in the nation's history—in North Queensland. There are 500,000 people trapped; they have no way of getting out. Helicopters can't get in, planes can't get in and boats can't get in. There is no way you can get off the coastal plain. On one side is the Great Dividing Range—5,000-feet-high mountains—and 30 kilometres away is the Pacific Ocean. There are three roads that are utterly impassable even in good times, and they are utterly impassable now, and we can't get back to Townsville. There is great urgency, and we should haven't to go into a calamity of this nature. We should be prepared for it. Any civilised nation would have looked after the half-a-million people that are there and have been in great jeopardy for the last two weeks.

We crave the indulgence of the people of Australia and the parliament of Australia. We need a tunnel to get out of that captured situation. Infinitely more importantly, we need an upgrading of the roads system from Tully back to Townsville so we can get out that way. Infinitely more importantly, the Prime Minister gave the first monies for the Great Inland Way. That got it started, and there's been $2 billion spent on it since his $28 million. It just needs 10.8 kilometres to get completion so we've got an alternative way out. We need to be able to get back to Townsville, but we need a tunnel at the other end so we can get onto this highway. We've got 500,000 Australians who've had their lives placed in very grave jeopardy. We've lost two—arguably three—lives that we know of already.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kennedy not just for his contribution today but also, more importantly, for his extraordinary representation of the people of that region over 50 years. I was with the member for Kennedy last week at the bridge that had collapsed. We witnessed the extraordinary work of the Australian Defence Force in making sure that access for essential services—

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

That was your doing, Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

was upgraded there. I would like to think it was my decision, but I've got to say that the blokes in the Australian Defence Force who were doing that were just extraordinary, showing their skills in engineering. I pay tribute to them and the other emergency service workers who were on the ground there in Townsville, along with the member for Kennedy; Premier Crisafulli; the Minister for Emergency Management, Senator Jenny McAllister; and the Mayor of Hinchinbrook, who walked across in his thongs and shorts in amongst what was still pretty muddy. I have had conversations there with the Premier, as well as the member for Kennedy. Yesterday I spoke with the Premier again when I informed him that I'd signed off on considerable grants, $100 million worth of support, for people in that community.

One of the issues the member raised with regard to roads is the Kennedy development road. It's a great example of, frankly, stuff that needs to be done better. Ten kilometres of that road are still dirt, and that has meant that it hasn't been able to be used. We will fix it. We have funding provided for it, and that will be fixed. I've spoken with the Premier about making sure that we don't just build what was there again in the same form but that we build it back better.

Just like in the member for Kennedy's electorate, as he would remember, he made representations about the Einasleigh River Bridge so that Karumba and Normanton in his electorate were not cut off. We built it back better through the council, and not only did they do that under the $31 million budget; they provided additional three bridges as a result of using that local labour. They know what they're doing, and they used local suppliers as well. I've spoken to the Premier about the same approach to make sure that the bureaucrats in either the capital city here or the capital city in Queensland listen to people on the ground, particularly the people in local government, because that is how you can get things done.

The Kennedy development road, I assure you, will be done, and we will work constructively. I must say that the engagement with the Premier of Queensland has been very constructive, and our two governments are working seamlessly because that is what is required at a time like this to get things done. I do praise the member for Kennedy, who's been on the ground there with his local community. These are tough times. North Queenslanders are tough people, and they're showing it yet again. We're seeing that, at the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character.