Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McDonald for that question. As I said, this project is going very well. It is not just about this project, though; it is about opening up a new area of wealth generation for our nation. This will be the first coal basin opened in this country in 50 years, and that will mean more investment and more jobs. There are another five potential mines going through various stages of approval. All up, they could deliver 16,000 direct jobs in mining and a massive increase in economic wealth and opportunity for this country. It's summed up best by the people who live there in Central Queensland—people like Kel Appleton, who owns the Grand Hotel in Clermont. He said:

After years of tough times, the Galilee Basin is more than an opportunity for us.

It's our chance to have the things city people take for granted, things like a strong, stable income and hope for your children. People don't realise that if the mines close, so do the towns.