The greatest thing about the government’s commitment to build and develop northern Australia is the benefits it is providing to the people of northern Australia, particularly through better infrastructure. Across northern Australia over the last few years we have invested in and are building 37 different road projects, dedicated to improving access and productivity for our beef sector, the first beef roads program for decades, and to investing in infrastructure that supports our agriculture, mining and tourism sectors.
Senator McMAHON (Northern Territory) (14:52):
My question is to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. Can the minister please outline how the Liberal-National government is providing stability and certainty to northern Australia by investing in better roads and infrastructure?
Senator CANAVAN (Queensland—Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (14:52):
The greatest thing about the government’s commitment to build and develop northern Australia is the benefits it is providing to the people of northern Australia, particularly through better infrastructure. Across northern Australia over the last few years we have invested in and are building 37 different road projects, dedicated to improving access and productivity for our beef sector, the first beef roads program for decades, and to investing in infrastructure that supports our agriculture, mining and tourism sectors. Altogether now this project has helped seal 480 kilometres of roads. That is enough to drive from here all the way to Newcastle. For those of us who are driving back to Sydney after this week, we have sealed all those types of roads across northern Australia—and further, on the way to Newcastle as well. Seventeen of those projects are completed. Seventeen are underway as we speak, creating jobs at the moment, and three will be completed by the end of next year.
Altogether those 37 projects are creating 2,400 jobs across northern Australia. I am particularly proud of the jobs they are providing for Indigenous communities. Every road has to have an Indigenous employment participation target. For some roads over half the construction workforce are from Indigenous communities. There are roads like the Hann Highway, which will create the first sealed inland route from Cairns down to Melbourne. It will save eight hours off the journey. It will particularly help our horticulture growers get their product to market faster. As Alison Murphy from upper North Queensland says:
The trucks will do a lot better times because it’s about 800 kilometres shorter to go from towns to Melbourne—
to Townsville along this route we are building. We are also building the Tom Price to Karratha corridor, which is going to open up mining opportunities in Western Australia, and also Alice Springs to Halls Creek, the Tanami Road, which has been spoken about for decades. We are sealing the Tanami Road, which will particularly help Indigenous communities and goldmines out there. There will be more for Australia and for—(Time expired)
The PRESIDENT:
Senator McMahon, a supplementary question?
Senator McMAHON (Northern Territory) (14:54):
Can the minister outline any recent investments by the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and tell us again how many jobs those investments are supporting?
Senator CANAVAN (Queensland—Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (14:54):
As I was mentioning earlier in question time, those voices of negativity have gone from saying, ‘They’re not investing in enough projects,’ to, ‘They’re not spending enough.’
Senator Watt:
When, when, when?
The PRESIDENT:
Senator Watt!
Senator CANAVAN:
We have invested, or have made decisions to invest, in 15 projects supporting 4,000 jobs across northern Australia. I’m very proud of some of these projects, which wouldn’t have happened without the northern development agenda of this government. For example, one project, First Iron Ore, will be the first Indigenous owned iron ore mine in this country, backed by this government and supported by this government. It’s going to create 120 jobs in construction and 120 jobs in the operation of the mine, helping Indigenous rural communities get a head start.
Senator Watt interjecting —
The PRESIDENT:
Senator Watt!
Senator CANAVAN:
We’re also supporting an abattoir in Central Queensland to give cattle producers better access to more meatworks to get a better price for their product. I don’t have enough time to go on, but there’s so much we’re doing in the north and it’s so exciting to be there at the moment.
Senator Watt:
No—I want to hear about progress!
The PRESIDENT:
Order, Senator Watt! Take a breath when I call your name for at least 20 seconds before subsequent disorderly interjections. I think I called him halfway through that question. Senator McMahon, a final supplementary question?
Senator McMAHON (Northern Territory) (14:56):
Can the minute outline the investments that the government is making in northern Australia to harness its abundant water resources? How is that increasing agriculture developments in Australia?
Senator CANAVAN (Queensland—Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (14:56):
Obviously, Senator Watt just does not like hearing about progress. He hates it. He wants to interject and stop progress. That’s what the Labor Party are good at. But we on this side love progress. We love jobs being created. We love our country being developed. We’re also developing the water resources of northern Australia. We’re investing $700 million across water projects in northern Australia. These projects are across the north. Particularly, there are ones like Rookwood Weir, which is underway at the moment. That’s going to help to double agricultural production in the Fitzroy Basin. We’re investing $200 million to guarantee water security for Townsville in their future. We’re also getting started on the Hells Gate Dam. It’ll be one of the biggest dams in Queensland once it’s built. That’s starting under this project. Really, the benefits of this are for the people in these regions. For example, Simone Lawrie, from the Artizan Gluten Free Bakery in Rocky, says she currently employs 11 staff and will have more staff once the Rookwood Weir is under construction. That’s what we’re doing for jobs and supporting businesses in the north. (Time expired)
