Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Both states—they are powerhouses, and yet this Labor government continues to neglect the communities who are absolutely the backbone of our country. When I talk about communities, I talk about the workers, the families, the businesses in those small regional, rural and sometimes very remote communities, and particularly the workers who work out there. They contribute so much to our national economy, and these businesses are based in rural, regional and many parts of remote Australia.

My electorate of Maranoa is the home to the Surat Basin, a great energy resource, but what we are seeing is a classic two-speed economy. It is developing as the coal seam gas industry continues to grow. On one hand, we have got traditional industries—I am sure the member for Forrest knows it well—agriculture and the businesses that service that sector. On the other hand, the coal seam methane gas industry is moving ahead in leaps and bounds, but the growing pains are being felt across our traditional industries and in families who have been longtime residents in these communities.

The CSG companies' ability to offer high salaries means they are able to attract workers who would normally be employed in the region's traditional industries. As a consequence, soaring rents and property prices are pushing locals out of the market. Road infrastructure is crumbling under the pressure. Local schools and even healthcare providers have reached maximum capacity.

I was called recently by the local healthcare provider at the aged care facility, a residential home, in my home town of Roma. They said, 'We can't afford $120,000 for someone to care for older citizens in the community. We can't even afford $70,000 that they are paying to apprentices,' and yet the resource sector can do that. People who come to town like teachers, part-time workers and those who have never owned their own home, might be renting a home for $250 a week. They get a call from the local real estate agent who says, 'We want to negotiate a new rent for your rental property. Your rental term has expired.' They say, 'We'd love to rerent it and pay $250 a week.' They say, 'It's going up to $600 a week.' In fact, a four-bedroom home in my home town of Roma the other day rented for $1,000 a week with quarterly reviews. There was a five-bedroom home in Dalby the other day for $2,200 a week. Admittedly, it is serviced and they get cleaners in, but it is $2,200 a week. Our traditional industries, our traditional economy and our traditional people—I won't call them traditional but—

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