Rail line to boost jobs & economy

5 DECEMBER 2016: Construction of a rail line linking the Galilee Basin with the port at Abbot Point will open up jobs and economic opportunity far beyond Adani’s Carmichael Coal Project. I am supporting a Federal Government loan for construction of the multi-use rail line under the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). The rail line is exactly the kind of project the NAIF was designed for because it is multi-use and will enable further development of job-creating projects. I have spoken with the Resources Minister, Matt Canavan, and he is happy with Adani accessing a low-interest loan to build the vital infrastructure.Once constructed, the line will enable other developments in the Galilee, including the China Stone Coal Project and GVK Hancock, to come online and those projects will further boost the economy and create thousands of jobs. Using the NAIF to enable the rail project perfectly in line with what the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has said in the past. The Prime Minister has rightly ruled out providing a loan for the mine because it is a single user but the rail line will be for multiple users.No taxpayer funding is going to the mine and any support for the railway line will be in the form of a loan. We are not talking about a grant or sinking taxpayer money into constructing the rail line. We are talking about a low-interest loan that will be repaid to the government and the benefits of providing that facility will be enormous for jobs and the economy in North Queensland. That’s why the $5 billion NAIF was a part of the Liberal National Government’s plan to develop Northern Australia.