Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Rookwood Weir has been described as a game changer for Central Queensland. It has the potential to create 2,100 new local jobs in the region as well as to double farming output along the Fitzroy River. The Fitzroy catchment is the largest river system draining to Australia's east coast. That is thousands of potential jobs and investment flowing straight past Rockhampton's door. Rookwood Weir has the potential to double agriculture production in the Fitzroy basin by a multiplier of three for additional service and secondary industries. It will guarantee water security for urban and industrial use in Gladstone, Rockhampton and Livingstone LGAs. In a further sign of the growth potential for regional Australia, farm production is forecast to leap 8.3 per cent during this financial year. But these opportunities will be lost to Central Queensland as Queensland Labor continues to drag the chain.

The Turnbull-Joyce government has committed $2 million to the business case for the weir. It has completed EPBC approvals and has committed $130 million towards construction. We still have no commitments from Queensland. This is all for a project that, in 2006, Peter Beattie declared would be built by 2011. The final regulatory hurdle was approved in December 2016, when Queensland's Coordinator-General gave environmental approval to the Rookwood Weir. Business Queensland, the group that carries out economic evaluations on behalf of the state government, issued a statement in October 2016 saying the business case could not be rushed. This situation is the height of hypocrisy, because when it comes to major projects like Brisbane Cross River Rail or Townsville stadium Queensland Labor asks for Commonwealth money without a business case ever being started.

The Queensland minister for agriculture and member for Rockhampton has stated that the state government is now working on the business case for Rookwood Weir. This is the business case which the federal government committed to funding in 2016. In that time the Western Australian government has completed feasibility studies, committed its own funding and submitted two applications to the Commonwealth government for major water projects. It is the same in Tasmania, where the state government has completed business cases for their water projects and is now building them. Agriculture is delivering a record contribution to the Australian economy, with exports up 10 per cent and overall production at a record-breaking $63.8 billion.

Central Queensland will again be missing out until the Queensland Labor government gets moving on vital infrastructure projects like Rookwood. Queensland Labor desperately wants funding for Brisbane's Cross River Rail without a business case. Why will they not apply the same urgency towards Rookwood Weir? Hundreds of people have signed my petition for the state government to get on with building Rookwood Weir. It is the No. 1 job-creating project for Central Queensland. The other states can do it; it is not hard. The Queensland government just needs to get on with it.

Capricornia need dams and water infrastructure. We need a commitment from the Queensland state government. If former Labor Premier Peter Beattie maintained he could have the Rookwood Weir built by 2011, why is this current state government stalling? Will the minister update the House on measures the Australian government has taken to increase agricultural production and water security in Central Queensland? And will the minister explain to the House what is causing the delay of Rookwood Weir?

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