Fraser Anning (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First, I'd like to register my disgust at the Greens gutless attack on a proud Australian.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Anning. Please move to your question.

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. For too long, Rookwood Weir has had money on the table and not been delivered. Rookwood Weir can deliver increased agricultural production and help to droughtproof Central Queensland. What is the reason for the delay of this project?

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

I thank Senator Anning for that question and for the advance notice of it. I recognise Senator Anning's passion and commitment to develop water resources in Queensland and across Australia. We have abundant water resources in Queensland, and it is unfortunate that there have been delays in getting going on this very important infrastructure project for Central Queensland, the Rookwood Weir. It's now been 620 days since the federal government said that we were willing to put half the funds up to drought-proof Central Queensland, to create more than 2,100 jobs and to potentially double the agricultural production in Central Queensland. The Fitzroy Basin, where this weir is, is the second-largest water catchment in our country, behind the Murray-Darling, and it has enormous agricultural potential. We want to get on with the job of creating Australian jobs and growing Australian food for the people of Australia, for the people of Central Queensland.

But the Queensland government wanted to do another business case, notwithstanding that this has been looked at for 10 years, notwithstanding that Peter Beattie said back last decade that it would be built by 2011—the former Premier of Queensland said he'd build Rookwood Weir by 2011. But the Queensland government wanted to do another business case, so we had to wait for them to do that. That's been the reason for the delay. The business case has come back. Now, unfortunately, the price has gone up because of those delays. Because it's gone on for a year and a half, the price has become more expensive. These are the costs of Labor inaction, Labor incompetence—because they can never make a decision and get on with the job and create jobs for our region. Notwithstanding these delays, we are committed to this project. We want to see it happen. We want to create opportunity for this country. We want to create opportunity for people in regional Queensland who have been suffering with a slow economy. We want to create jobs. That's why we want to build dams around this country. We want to get on with the job of building and creating and using our natural water resources to create jobs and grow food.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Anning, a supplementary question.

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How will Rookwood Weir deliver for regional Queensland?

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

As I said in my answer to the first question, it would create thousands of jobs. In the Fitzroy area, where this dam is, jobs fell by 10,000 last year because there have been tough economic times. That's why we want to create jobs. That's why we want to build projects like this. That's why we're behind projects like this. But it's also a very important project to drought-proof Central Queensland. A study by the Gladstone Area Water Board released late last year showed that Rockhampton itself, a major city in Central Queensland, could run out of water from just one failed wet season. If that were to happen, water would need to be trucked up from Gladstone. Six hundred B-doubles would have to be engaged to do that. It would cost nearly $500 million. There's a question mark whether it would be technically feasible. That's why we need to act now, to avoid that circumstance. We need to get the Queensland Labor government to get acting so we avoid the worst happening in Central Queensland.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Anning, a final supplementary question.

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why does the Labor-Green alliance continue to stop the development of regional Queensland?

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

I thank Senator Anning for that question. It's a bit hard for me to put myself in the mind of a Labor-Green alliance. I don't typically have thoughts along those lines. But can I say that it probably has something to do with things that are going on down in Melbourne at the moment, I think. I think something along those lines is the reason for these delays. We want to build dams. We want to get on with the job. But the Greens don't like dams. They hate 'em. They can't stand dams. There's never a dam they want built anywhere—except here in the ACT. They did vote for a dam in the ACT. They've got a big dam in the ACT, where they needed water. Otherwise, in the rest of the country, we're not allowed dams. Because the Greens don't want to have dams, that means the Labor Party have to say they don't want dams. They used to. Bob Hawke built the Burdekin Falls Dam. Back then, they built things. They used to build things in this country, but not anymore because they're tied to the Greens, and that means they will not build anything anywhere in this country.