House debates

Tuesday, 9 May 2017

Questions without Notice

Infrastructure

2:20 pm

Photo of Bob KatterBob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Minister for the Environment and Energy, you are aware of Hells Gate dam: irrigation, baseload power, Townsville water supply earning $3,000 million a year; the Galilee coal rail line, earning $6,000 million a year; the phosphate fertiliser project: Burketown's first Australian YIPIPI transportation waterway with prawn farms, earning $7,000 million; and Cape York silicon: the solar key, earning $5,000 million. That is $21 billion a year; $6 billion in tax revenue. If you initiated north Australia's Snowy Mountains authority to build these four projects, as initiator would you then become a Ben Chifley, a great nation builder, as was a previous member for Kooyong, Robert Menzies?

Comments

Andrew JACKSON
Posted on 12 May 2017 3:16 pm

It is amazing the difference between the development of the Coal Industry in the 1970's under a National Party Government with Bob Katter part of it and the current situation with Adani. In 1970's Utah paid for Upgraded Railway line paid for housing and other infrastructure but these became Queensland Government property. Coal was exported through Gladstone but that part of coal which was needed to fuel power station was supplied free by Utah.
Today reverse is situation Government is expected to pay for the line, town and infrastructure but it will become Adani property when completed.

We need to build Adani Mine but ensure that Adani get no more benefits than Utah did. If Adani will not build it under those terms then Queensland Government should revoke Adani's rights and construct and run the mine as a State Owned Enterprise.

Andrew Jackson
apjackson@hotkey.net.au