Who should call North Queensland home?
21 APRIL 2017: Decentralising government can bring a lot of benefits if it is managed well so I'm asking North Queenslanders to help identify the best options and then I can lobby for North Queensland to be a beneficiary of the Liberal National Government’s decentralisation push.
Labor sweeps QLD dam projects under the carpet
11 OCTOBER 2016: Urannah Dam and a host of other water projects in North Queensland have been swept under the carpet by the Queensland Labor government, putting thousands of job opportunities on hold.
Mackay's One Billion Dollar Man
28 JULY 2016: With the support of the Liberal National Government, I am driving a one billion dollar investment to create more than a thousand jobs for Mackay over the next three to four years.
$8 million in funding flows to water projects
FUNDING is set to flow to create jobs, provide water security and open up vast tracts of agricultural land with Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen welcoming announcements this morning that pre-construction planning work will begin for the Urannah Dam, the raising of the Burdekin Dam Wall, the Burdekin Haughton Channel upgrade, Hell’s Gate Dam and to upgrade water infrastructure for Clermont.Today’s announcement makes all the hard work fighting for local jobs worthwhile.
MP pushes for Urannah Dam funding
THIS morning I met with key proponents for the Urannah Dam which would provide water to underpin growth and development in the Mackay, Whitsunday, Isaac and Burdekin regions to discuss the push for funding for planning and design of the dam.I hope to see funding flow when the successful applicants for the Liberal National government's National Water Infrastructure Development Fund are announced.I have done everything in my power to get the Urannah Dam on the radar of those in Canberra, and I am hopeful we will be able to start work on the project through the $25 million National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.There’s funding which will be specifically directed to Northern Australia, and the planning and design work for Urannah Dam is in the running for this.
Parliament gets the word on Urannah Dam
THE importance of Urannah Dam to provide future jobs and economic stability was highlighted by new Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Barnaby Joyce on the floor of parliament today.Minister Joyce spoke about the importance of building dams in response to my question on the importance of restoring agriculture as a fundamental pillar of the Australian economy.The importance of securing funding for a feasibility study on the Urannah Dam is vitally important for this region, and I’m doing all in my power to ensure we see that funding flow through.It’s heartening to see that it is getting the attention of leading decision makers in our government.
$5 billion funding bill for the North ready to go
THE draft legislation to enable the flow of $5 billion into projects in Northern Australia has been released and this is a key step in developing jobs and opportunities for the north.The exposure draft legislation for the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) paves the way for the flow of funding into the development of infrastructure, so that this region and other parts of Northern Australia can reach the potential we know is there.The north holds the country’s rich reserves of energy and resources, it has many thousands of hectares of arable land if we get the right water infrastructure, like Urannah Dam, in place, and we have world-class tourist attractions.
Minister’s Mackay visit to canvass ideas
29 JANUARY 2016: Mackay residents will provide direct input into a regional policy process when the Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister visits Mackay. The Liberal National Government is formulating a policy that will set out a long-term vision for regional Australia and North Queensland will play a vital role in the process.
Hopes raised on flow of Urannah funds
I WAS pleased to get confirmation today that an application for funding for a Urannah Dam feasibility study has been submitted to the Federal Government’s National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.The Urannah Dam project has the potential to create thousands of jobs and immediately open up more than 12,000 hectares of agricultural land with the potential for approximately 30,000 hectares in total, but the crucial next step for its consideration was to secure funding for a $5.2 million feasibility study..Expressions of interest for funding had to be lodged by state and territory governments by Thursday last week, and I am happy to confirm that this has taken place.
Region needs a ‘year of opportunity’ in 2016
27 NOVEMBER 2015: A dedicated agency tasked with job creation and industry development could make 2016 a year of opportunity for the greater Mackay region.
Securing Australia’s water supply for the future
5 July 2015: The Australian Government has set up a National Water Infrastructure Development Fund with $500 million for water infrastructure, including dams, through the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper. An allocation of $50 million will support the planning necessary to decide on viable projects for investment, and $450 million was available to construct water infrastructure in partnership with states and territories.