Decision on backpacker tax delivers certainty
The backpacker tax is gone.The Federal Liberal National government is deferring the tax for six months pending a review which is expected to come up with a lower, more competitive tax rate.I met with Bowen Gumlu Growers Association president Carl Walker in Bowen this morning to share the news, which will provide fruit and vegetable growers with greater workforce certainty.The backpackers I spoke to were also happy to hear about it.We definitely need to ensure that our growers have the workers they need to harvest their crops, but we also need to ensure that as many Australians as possible have the opportunity to take up work on farms.
Labor-Greens alliance would end Adani project
A Labor-Greens government would spell the end for the Adani Carmichael Mine Project and the thousands of jobs it would provide.This has been made crystal clear by Greens and Labor candidates this week.If the Greens get to power-share in a Labor minority government, we can kiss the Carmichael Mine Project goodbye because the Greens will push to overturn the mine approval and sound the death knell on the thousands of jobs it would create.Greens Senator Larissa Waters has said the Adani mine should never have been approved.So this is how it would play out if we ended up in the mess of having a Labor-Greens minority government.
Why won’t Bill Shorten support job-creating projects for CQ workers?
LABOR leader Bill Shorten has confirmed that his government will do nothing to support the workers of Central and North Queensland who are desperate to see Adani’s Carmichael Mine Project go ahead.Why is Mr Shorten so opposed to the project when it’s vital for the economy of the region?Mr Shorten said in Mackay today, and I quote ‘The Commonwealth Government I lead wouldn’t be putting taxpayers’ money into the Adani mine.’
$28,400 grant for business to train up staff
SECURING a Liberal National Government Industry Skills Fund grant of more than $28,000 will enable Paget-based business Mackay Conveyor Equipment to train up employees in preparation for a diversified future.I paid the business a visit today and caught up with managing director Jason Kelly, who told me he wanted to upskill his staff so together they could work towards establishing a consistent flow of business.He said it came down to looking further afield to source work for his business which has traditionally provided parts and maintenance services to coal mines in the Bowen Basin.
Mackay poised to reap benefits from $1 billion Singapore partnership
THE established industry capabilities of Mackay could allow the city to ride the back of a new Australia-Singapore partnership which will see the tiny Asian nation invest $1 billion in strengthening our defence partnership and accelerating collaboration in innovation, science, research and technology.The new partnership would see Rockhampton and Townsville become bases for the Singapore Army.A $1 billion investment in Singapore’s defence capabilities to the south of us in Rockhampton and to our north in Townsville puts Mackay in a great position to tap into opportunities for the manufacturing and maintenance of equipment which may be required.
The fight for funds for our ‘chappies’
I will lead a backbench revolt against any decision to terminate funding for local school chaplains beyond 2018 if I have to, because I am concerned that it is not listed in the Budget's forward estimates.This is a programme I support personally through donations, and it will continue if I have my way.Education Minister Simon Birmingham has said that Federal funding for the School Chaplaincy Programme will continue until the end of the 2018 calendar year, as it was funded as a four year program from 2014. It will then be due for consideration ahead of the 2017-18 Budget.
Investing in Dawson
THE Dawson electorate will benefit from a significant infrastructure boost in the 2016-17 financial year, with $43.6 million allocated for specific projects in the region, and that's in addition to any Federal funding which will flow for the $448 million we will invest into the Mackay Ring Road.The electorate will also receive its fair share of a further $6.4 billion across a range of infrastructure initiatives, including the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.This demonstrates the Liberal National Government’s commitment to regional communities, outlined in last night’s Federal Budget.The funding is about boosting connectivity, building critical infrastructure, supporting innovation and fostering local leadership to support regional communities in Dawson.
Push to keep aqua park afloat
Aqua Fun Park Mackay at Andergrove is a enterprising venture which not only boosts Mackay’s tourism offering but provides much-needed jobs for youth. It is in danger of being lost to the region and I'm keen to see what I can do to help.A government handout is not appropriate for a private business but if a not-for-profit organisation acquired equipment as a community asset and leased it out to a business to manage, that may be a viable solution.Operators Amanda Pelagalli and Kirk Langford have told me they lease their inflatable water park equipment and it will not be available to them next summer. So they need to buy their own equipment.This is a community-based tourism facility which helps Mackay to diversify and provide more reasons for visitation. Importantly it also provides casual employment for as many as 50 young people in our city, at a time when jobs for our kids are hard to find.
Launch of NBN services by satellite
AN ESTIMATED 3195 homes and businesses in more isolated rural areas of the region can begin to connect to affordable, high-speed broadband with the launch of services on NBN’s Sky Muster satellite network today.This is great news for people in more rural areas that will finally be able to access high speed internet.There’s an estimated 3195 homes and businesses in my electorate in rural pockets between Mackay and Townsville who can connect and achieve download speeds of up to 25 megabits per second and uploads of up to 5 megabits, as the Sky Muster service will provided a faster online experience.To be eligible to connect to the service, you must be outside of NBN’s fixed line and fixed wireless coverage areas, and you can find out if you are by visiting www.nbnco.com.au or freecall NBN on 1800 687 626.
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.
Labor plan a threat to farmers’ livelihoods
AS if farmers don't have enough to deal with when it comes to tree clearing laws, we now have Federal Labor pollies from city seats announcing fancy plans to introduce more ‘green police’.Bill Shorten has announced a plan to overrule state tree clearing policies, and send in Federal 'green police to tell farmers what they can and can't do on their own land.So we would have jumped-up federal bureaucrats flashing badges, stopping landholders from doing the work needed to run a normal farming enterprise.Only city slickers like Bill Shorten would come up with such a restrictive and blatantly unfair policy.
Labor plan for another carbon tax whack
Labor’s announcement today that they would essentially bring back a carbon tax if elected beggars belief.The Opposition’s climate plan also includes an option for them to further restrict farmers’ ability to clear their own land.Labor’s fearless leader Bill Shorten will go blindly where Labor leaders before him have gone, and that’s down the path of introducing a carbon tax which will cost jobs and drive up power prices.Shorten has announced that a Labor Government will introduce an emissions reduction target of 45 per cent by 2030, so this would essentially double Australia’s emissions reduction targets.
Funding to help farmers help reef
I welcome today's announcement by the Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt that the Turnbull Government is investing a further $11 million in new projects to improve the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.This will help farmers with the great work they do to manage effects on the environment, and it will help the Reef to withstand pressures such as the current coral bleaching event.The funding, to be delivered under Phase Three of the Reef Trust, will help local farmers reduce the impact of agricultural practices on the Reef.
Bill should tell Labor buddies to get moving on the Haughton
THE ability to progress work on some Bruce Highway projects rests entirely in Labor’s hands, and the best thing Bill Shorten could do for the Bruce Highway is to tell his counterparts in the State Labor Government to pull their finger out.I believe Mr Shorten has been making announcements regarding Labor's plans for the Bruce Highway in Townsville today, and he should ask his counterparts in the Palaszczuk government ‘why is Labor holding up the Haughton River Bridge Replacement?’The replacement of this bridge has been voted the most urgent problem to be fixed on that stretch of the Bruce Highway between Mackay and Townsville.
Funding to fix black spots
THE main street of Ayr is a beneficiary under the latest round of Black Spot Program funding, as is the notorious Horse & Jockey Road and Landsdowne Road intersection at Racecourse near Mackay.The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester’s has announced that $70,000 would be provided by the Liberal National Government to fix the black spot at the intersection of Queen and Soper streets in Ayr.This black spot funding will be used to modify the approaches and centre island geometry, for resurfacing and upgrading line marking.In the Mackay region, though it actually falls in the Capricornia electorate, I welcome the announcement of $1.19 million for the intersection of Horse Jockey Road and Landsdowne Road.
NBN rolls out at rapid rate
THE reality regarding access to NBN services for the people of the Mackay region is that it’s happening at a cracking pace, and many residents have access but have not yet opted to connect.The Mackay region, and in fact nearly all of my electorate of Dawson which includes Proserpine and the Whitsundays, Bowen and the Burdekin, will have access to the NBN by the end of next year.That means this region will be two years ahead of the full scheduled rollout prediction of 2020.What we have taking place here is a huge shift in communications technology, and that can get confusing because residents will connect to the NBN via a mix of technologies.
Support for international flights to NZ
It was a pleasure to welcome the Assistant Minister for Immigration Senator James McGrath to Mackay today to shore up support for international flights to New Zealand.International flights out of centres like Mackay and the Whitsundays will provide a vital tourism boost for this region and be a great step forward in diversifying our economic base.Senator McGrath is a fellow Queenslander who understands the value of tourism and I welcome his support of plans by both the Mackay Airport and the Whitsunday Coast Airport to provide direct access to the international market.Senator McGrath met with Mackay Airport general manager Rob Porter and Hello World Mackay managing director Steven Boxall this afternoon.
Support for boat-building innovator
A VESSEL which could make it easier for emergency services workers to work in floodwaters was unveiled in Cannonvale this morning and I am happy to lend my support to boat-builder and designer Steve Jandt on his project.His 6m prototype rescue catamaran, named the Jetcat, was put through its paces at Cannonvale today.Mr Jandt has designed and built a vessel that is unlike anything else available globally and the key benefits are it’s powered by jet units, so there are no propellers, and you can launch it in floodwaters and harsher conditions.
Anna's secret to 100 years
BALL Bay centenarian Anna Eastoe has taken the fuss surrounding her latest birthday in her stride, welcoming guests, attending parties and providing answers on the secret to her long life.It was a pleasure to pay Mrs Eastoe, who turned 100 on Friday, a visit over the weekend during her birthday celebration to present her with a framed certificate.“I had a lovely day with all my friends; we had about 35 to 40 people there.