NAIF loan to keep talent in the North

I welcome today's news of a Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loan of $96 million to James Cook University and the benefits construction will bring to the North. Developing Northern Australia and making the most of our economic opportunities relies on having the best people on the ground and this loan will assist the North in keeping and attracting the best talent.The loan will help the university build a Technology Innovation Complex, which will attract more engineering students across a range of specialist areas to the region and ultimately bring more young people into the resource sector. Students are faced with a lot of options for their studies and their choice of university often comes down to the quality of facilities and links with industry.The mining industry is still going strong and there is a pipeline of projects that will require a larger work force. We need to attract young students into the region to secure the necessary qualifications now so they are ready to fill the gaps as they appear. The real advantage of having great facilities in the North is that young people studying in the North are more likely to find a job and start a family in the North.The new facilities at James Cook University will also be used by researchers and industry partners, as well as start-up businesses.