Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin should surely realise that that debate has been had, and we have moved on as a government.

There is a magnificent piece of land on Townsville’s foreshore. It is at the western end of Townsville Strand, which many of you who have been to Townsville will know is the best beachfront in Northern Australia. It is currently a military base called Jezzine Barracks, which incorporates one of Australia’s historic forts on the Kissing Point headland. It is currently the home of 31RQR, and 11 Brigade headquarters are also there. But Army has decided that the site is no longer of use to the Defence Force as they are transferring to Townsville’s Lavarack Barracks, the home of the 3rd Brigade. Currently there is a major program under way with Defence to look at all of the options for the site and what might be done.

I have had some very significant problems with the local city council, who, for their part, have run an extraordinary, year-long political campaign about what might happen with the site but have not made any attempt to talk with me, to work with me, to get the best outcome for our community. I find that quite sad. Yesterday, I went to Townsville in an attempt—and in fact it was a successful attempt—to bring the Townsville Labor mayor into the fold, to get him talking to me in a businesslike and professional manner, and I am pleased to say that that has happened. For example, for some time the mayor has been saying that he cannot get any appointments to bring a delegation to Canberra, but he never asked me to help him. So I took it upon myself to make the appointment and then tell the mayor that the appointment was made. I made that appointment in half an hour. He could have done that months ago with my help. He then needed to change the appointment time. It took me 15 minutes. But the mayor continued to carry on. It is a pity that the local council will not work with their federal member to get the best outcome for the community.

We are going to see the majority of that site basically given to the community for a dollar. It is worth $25 million. It is a great deal for the community, a great deal for the council. We are going to see no land sold to commercial developers. We are going to see no high-rise on the site. We are going to see Defence retain some of the site for the purposes of Defence homes. All in all, we are going to get a fabulous bookend to Townsville Strand, providing that the Mayor of Townsville takes the time to work with me and the government to get that outcome.