Heywire winner proud to call Mackay home
IT was a pleasure to catch up with the busy and talented Claire Kelly at Parliament House today when she attended the ABC Heywire Regional Youth Summit.17-year-old Ms Kelly was the Mackay winner of the Heywire competition, which provides an opportunity for young people in rural and regional communities to share their stories.Claire was also recently named the Mackay Young Citizen of the Year.
MPs: Grant Adani mining lease so work can begin
I joined several of my Queensland colleagues at Parliament House today in a joint call for the Queensland Labor Government to issue a mining lease for the Carmichael Mine, now that an environmental authority has been issued.Doing so would allow Adani to get started on the massive job-creating project which has been 10 years in the making.The development of the Carmichael Mine is an absolute no brainer.
$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.
Next step for international flights & jobs
DREAMS of flying high on direct international flights out of Mackay and Whitsunday Coast and providing a vital tourism boost to both centres have moved a step closer, with work underway on identifying the airport infrastructure and resourcing requirements needed to support international flights.Following my approaches to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton, I have been informed that his department representatives are working with management at both Mackay and Whitsunday Coast airports to look at airport infrastructure and identify border agency resourcing requirements so we can make these plans a reality.
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.
Time for Premier to walk the walk
THE Queensland Premier’s talk of fast-tracking infrastructure projects in North Queensland is an absolute joke when two of the biggest job-creating projects, namely the Mackay Ring Road and the Haughton River Bridge replacement, are lost in a bureaucratic bog.We need more than rubbish talk from Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on fast-tracking these big projects, because the blame for holding up hundreds of jobs lies squarely with the State Labor Government.The Federal Government had already committed to fast-tracking funding for these infrastructure projects at my insistence; that promise was secured back in September 2014 from then Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Flag burning should be illegal
IN the lead-up to Australia Day, I'm standing by my push to make acts such as burning the Australian flag at protest events an offence punishable by law.Australia Day is one of those occasions when people proudly fly the flag to celebrate who we are, and that’s just as it should be.In the past though, we have had left-wing protesters burning an Australian flag in a public place as an act which is clearly designed to offend and provoke.Now ahead of Australia Day, we have an artist down south wanting to ‘stoke the fire’ so to speak with this event called ‘Chuck another flag on the barbie’.
A call to action on jobs in resource industry
AS the Member for Dawson, and Chairman of the Coalition’s Backbench Policy Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources, I wish to state in the strongest of terms that it’s not just Townsville and the 237 Queensland Nickel workers who are in need of assistance right now; it’s just about every resource community around the nation, and particularly the Bowen Basin.While I am as angry as the next person about the fate of the workers at Yabulu, and they are deserving of every bit of assistance offered, it’s a crying shame that State and Federal Governments of all political persuasions have not done enough to stabilise, stimulate and transition economies in resource communities.In the Bowen Basin we have seen job losses in the thousands at mine sites, at mining service companies and in mining town businesses whose trade has dried up in the downturn.
Roadworks bring jobs to region
WORK started today on construction of two new overtaking lanes on the Bruce Highway between Proserpine and Mackay, bringing more jobs to the region and boosting the local economy.The project will result in a southbound overtaking lane at Kitty Creek, 10km north of Kuttabul, and a northbound overtaking lane at Carey’s Creek, 7km south of Calen.The Liberal National Government’s commitment to fully fund these works will improve safety and efficiency on this stretch of the Bruce Highway – all part of the Government’s 10 year commitment to the Bruce Highway.
Funds flow for bridge upgrades
THE Whitsunday Regional Council has secured $1.25 million in funding under Round Two of the Liberal National Government’s Bridges Renewal Programme to replace a single lane timber bridge on Dingo Beach Road.The Bridges Renewal Programme underpins the Government’s support for local bridges, which are vital in ensuring communities and local businesses have easy access to essential services, traffic movement and the efficient transportation of road freight.This upgrade of the Gregory River Bridge on Dingo Beach Road will replace a single-lane timber bridge with a two-lane concrete bridge.
Grants to boost street safety
Not-for-profit and community groups are reminded that grant applications for Round 2 of the Coalition Government’s Safer Streets Programme are now open.Round 2 will invest up to $29.4 million in individual grants for local government organisations and eligible incorporated not-for-profit organisations, community groups, and chambers of commerce to implement community safety and crime prevention initiatives across Australia.Mackay received $400,000 in funding under Safer Streets Round 1 in 2014, so this programme is already working to improve safety and reduce crime in the city.
New science/maths app on the way for pre-schoolers
A new app focused on encouraging an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is on its way for pre-schoolers in the region.Following the positive feedback from a trial using apps to teach pre-schoolers another language, the Turnbull Government will look to replicate that success with an app to inspire young Australians’ interest in science and technology as part of its Innovation and Science Agenda.The ELLA languages app had great feedback in its initial trial and I'm looking forward to the expansion in more locations.
Carmichael coal for NQ this Christmas
22 DECEMBER 2015: NORTH Queensland received coal for Christmas this morning and is looking forward to a stocking full of jobs in the new year after the Federal Government approved the Abbot Point port expansion.
Taking the tax pledge
HAVE signed a Tax Pledge demonstrating my commitment to vote against any tax increases, and I'm challenging Labor Leader Bill Shorten and his local Labor candidate to do the same while they’re both in Mackay tomorrow.I've taken this stance ahead of an orchestrated “GST Forum” being hosted by the Labor Party on Wednesday night.I didn’t go into politics to increase taxes, I went in to lower taxes, and in fact in my maiden speech I said exactly that.
National gateway launched to help carers
Carers in the Mackay region can find the services and support they need using a new carer gateway launched today.The Carer Gateway provides information on how to access services and support in Mackay and around Australia, and carers can call, visit the website or use the interactive service finder to locate their nearest carer support services.Up to now, carers have been searching for information through a number of pathways across the disability, community mental health and aged care sectors.
Greens target "brown faces" in racist anti-mining campaign
EXTREME green groups are guilty of veiled racism in their relentless and targeted campaign against Indian company Adani and its "brown-skinned executives".This is a mining development which will breathe new life into Mackay with the jobs and opportunities it will provide.The extreme green anti-mining campaign has only focussed on an Indian company which is veiled racism, and the veil’s pretty thin.It’s almost a case of ‘you can’t trust the Indians’.Along with defaming an Indian company, these extreme green groups are now attacking the Indian brown-skinned executives of that company.
Foreign millers acting like spoilt brats
FOREIGN-owned millers such as Wilmar and Mitr Phol need to stop throwing temper tantrums and get on with business.Wilmar is saying it will not sign any further agreements for next year’s crop and Mitr Phol has announced that it was cease all new investment across its Australian sugar business.Both foreign millers are reacting to the passing of legislation in State Parliament to ensure growers have choice over who markets their sugar.These foreign-owned millers are behaving like two-year-olds chucking a tantrum because the parliament hasn’t done what they wanted.
Never too old to look to the future
MACKAY’S older residents remain engaged with the community and want to have input into the long-term future of the region.I visited Resthaven on Quarry this morning, fulfilling a request sent via my survey for a personal visit to the facility.I was only too happy to pay a visit and discuss issues of the day with a room full of people, including Bill Sneyd, Edna Bradwell and Athol Byers, who remain very engaged with the long-term future of their community.