WHITE papers for agriculture and northern Australia will hold the key for rural Queenslanders lacking jobs, according to Treasurer Joe Hockey.
During his flying visit to Longreach yesterday, he also said they would be important for people struggling to realise the opportunities presented by lower house prices in drought-stricken parts of the state.
Mr Hockey made headlines for all the wrong reasons this week after saying that people looking to buy their first home should “get a good job”, at a press conference aimed at reassuring people that residential property prices are not being driven up by overseas buyers.
When quizzed about how rural people in the grip of drought and with no income could participate in the buyers’ market offered by conditions in the bush at present, Mr Hockey said the agriculture white paper would have real money behind it, and “common sense solutions”.
He pointed to the money already put into pest control as an example of the government’s thinking.
“Northern Australia represents huge opportunities for Australia. It’s not only the engine room but the $5 billion special fund announced in the budget will be for areas like Longreach, to make sure they are more viable,” he said.
Treasurer Joe Hockey points to Ag white paper for rural job opps when in drought-stricken Longreach today #QCL pic.twitter.com/9907WE4yC8
Mr Hockey was in the region to talk up the budget tax incentives that encourage producers to put up fencing and water infrastructure and claim depreciation on fodder storage over three years.
He spoke to media from Dom and Vicki Burdon’s property 30 kilometres west of Longreach, where he inspected a wild dog exclusion fencing project already underway.
“Dom and Vicki are doing their best to cope with drought,” Mr Hockey said.
“I hope they take advantage of the asset write-off.
“This is an example of real policy at work, and it’s good for the land.”
Not only are many in the region unable to take advantage of stagnant real estate values; a number are under threat of bank foreclosures.
Mr Hockey said that wherever particular cases of banks trying to sell people up were raised, the government had spoken with the banks in question.
“Banks would be cutting their own throats if they were to foreclose at the moment,” he said.
“They would be selling an asset into a market where there is no market.”
He was keen to talk up the opportunities presented by tourism for the west, and said the $5 million donated to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame was significant.
