QUEENSLAND Senator Matt Canavan has touted the north as a “potential powerhouse” for the national economy.
The Rockhampton-based senator welcomed the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, which was announced in Tuesday's budget and said it could be the starting point to drive development of the north.
Senator Canavan said he had been calling for action on northern development since entering the Senate last year, especially development of dams, roads and port facilities.
“There’s plenty to do but I particularly want action on Urannah Dam, inland from Mackay and Proserpine, dams on the Fitzroy River system, including the Connors River Dam, and in the Gulf; sealing of the Hann Highway north of Hughenden; expansion of the port of Karumba; and more beef development roads.”
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey announced the commonwealth government would partner with the private sector and the governments of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland to provide large concessional loans for the construction of ports, pipelines, electricity and water infrastructure in the north.
“Attracting private investment to develop the north will be crucial but we will also need to provide public infrastructure,” Senator Canavan said.
“No farm is an island: they need roads, water infrastructure and ports to connect to the opportunities in Asia.”
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt was not quite as enthusiastic and said north Queenslanders should cautiously welcome a new infrastructure concessional loans scheme.
Mr Pitt, who holds the far north Queensland seat of Mulgrave, said he supported recognition from Canberra that north Queensland had all the right ingredients to be the growth engine of the state.
“Infrastructure is a key part of driving this growth, but we need to see the colour of Joe Hockey’s money,” he said.
“Mr Hockey hasn’t identified one single north Queensland project he would actually fund under this new scheme.
“An upgraded Hann Highway and the proposed Nullinga Dam would be good starting points for Mr Hockey if he was serious about north Queensland infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, six regional councils in central Queensland have ear-tagged dams on the Fitzroy River catchment – Eden Bann Weir and Rookwood.
Queensland Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Bill Byrne criticised the budget for providing little detail.
He said Queensland farmers were no better informed about the federal budget than they had been for the past two weeks.
“In fact, the federal budget hasn’t laid out a plan for Australian agriculture – if anything, it has set the scene for a messy fight between the states for basic funding," Mr Byrne said.
“For the past weeks we’ve heard plenty of spin and very little substance.
“Queensland farmers wanted some solid answers last night [Tuesday night] and were left wanting. There is still no commitment for Queensland for the Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate, no solid answers on the cost sharing of pests and diseases and some undefined loans for roads off in the distance.”
