Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

It's wonderful to have a question from the member for Kennedy. I have the opportunity to talk to him often about the issues that he is concerned about in his electorate, and I value this opportunity to talk about the prickly acacia. He is quite right that prickly acacia is a weed of national concern. It is a serious issue that is degrading the grasslands, undermining stock on that land, causing erosion and seriously putting pressure on dunnarts. If people want to look up Julia Creek dunnarts while I'm talking, they'll see a very cute little marsupial. That's why one of the things I've done recently is allow the importation of a new biological control. This new biological control, the gall-inducing thrip, targets the prickly acacia specifically.

The member has also asked about the Hughenden irrigation scheme. There are three things that the Albanese Labor government is interested in knowing about the Hughenden irrigation scheme. We are very open to the scheme, as I've told the member for Kennedy on many occasions, but the three things that we've asked for first are: an adequate water allocation from the Queensland government; assessment of the project by Infrastructure Australia; and co-funding from the Queensland government. I understand that—

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