Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

We will stay on the Northern Australia theme. My question, which I am reading on behalf of fellow Queenslander Jake Farrell of Townsville, is to Senator Colbeck, representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development and the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Townsville is in the depths of one of the driest periods on record and now on level-2 water restrictions, with only 30 per cent of the water left in the town. Queensland has been in severe drought for four years and the situation is worsening. Eighty per cent of my state, of course, is drought declared. The government's agricultural white paper provided for the injection of capital into water infrastructure and research to address the problems being caused by drought. Despite this, nothing appears to be happening. Can you tell me what steps the government is taking to urgently assist the people of Townsville, Queensland and the rest of Australia with the drought and the delivery of water infrastructure solutions?