Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House recognises the energy, water and agricultural potential of the far north of Australia and, in particular, the Kimberley region and urges the parliament to give priority to the development of Northern Australia.

My colleague and seconder, the member for Kalgoorlie, is going to address matters relevant to the great agricultural and water supply potential that exists in the region for which, of course, he is the local member. I wish to take my opportunity to draw the attention of the parliament to the very substantial renewable energy resources that exist in this region.

The length of the Kimberley coastline when measured on the shoreline from King Sound—or even if measured from Broome, but I think it is from King Sound—around to the Northern Territory border is about 6,000 kilometres. Therefore, it is a very lengthy coastline at first glance on a map. That is because of the fjordic nature of that entire stretch of the coastline. It is simply one bay, one inlet and one group of islands wherever you bother to look. The area is also subject to extremely high tidal action. In the company of the member, a group of backbenchers travelled to that area in our recent up week and we happened to be at the Derby port jetty at the time that the tide was out. There, standing in splendid isolation, was the jetty—some 40 old-fashioned feet above the bed of the sea at that point. We were informed that within five or six hours the tides would have risen close to the decking of the jetty. The tides are typically measured at about 11 metres twice a day as the mean average tide. That is a huge quantity of water.

Whilst Australians continue to ignore that potential, the World Energy Council—in preparing a table of high-quality tidal assets for the generation of electricity to replace the emitting coal fired and other now annoying or problematic generating systems—identified that just two of those inlets, Walcott Inlet and Secure Bay, had a relative generating capacity of over four gigawatts of power and, in fact, over eight terawatt hours of electricity generation annually. That equates to 120 per cent of the existing installed generating capacity in Western Australia and 10 per cent of the total generating capacity of Australia.

Here we have this magnificent resource. On a previous occasion I drew the attention of the House to how modern-day high-voltage DC transmission can economically deliver that power to all parts of Australia. The transmission side might cost $5 billion. As a public good exercise, I would think that is exactly the response the Australian government should give to this grave difficulty. The Prime Minister is spending $100 million on another area which would be much more difficult.

Our grave problem is that the government is actually proposing, through the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, to give control of that region to Geneva through a World Heritage order. Why would you do that? If Australia cannot control its own energy assets, its own freshwater assets and its own mineral assets, why do we need World Heritage? Yes, there are some nice waterfalls and there are a few other things that the state government could probably protect. Why would this government allow the environment minister to do that? (Time expired)

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

Is the motion seconded?

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Jim Turnour (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on this motion as a passionate advocate for Northern Australia. As the member for Leichhardt, I represent the great city of Cairns, Cape York and the Torres Strait. I see my parliamentary colleague Mr Katter, the member for Kennedy, who is also a passionate advocate for Northern Australia, here in the chamber. It is also great to be here with the member for Dawson, Mr Bidgood. Not only do I represent Northern Australia—and I see you, Mr Deputy Speaker, nodding and wanting to be associated with Northern Australia.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I’m not so sure about that!

Jim Turnour (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know. I agree with the member for Kennedy—we are not too sure about that. But I can assure you that, having been born in Darwin to a family that grew bananas and small crops at Batchelor, near Adelaide River, and now being the member for Leichhardt, I have a passion for Northern Australia. It is fantastic to be here in the federal parliament and to be able to work with the Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia, the Hon. Gary Gray, to bring forward projects and to develop this important part of the world.

The Australian government is serious about the development of sustainable opportunities in Northern Australia. This government is committed to encouraging sustainable development in Northern Australia after a decade of neglect. In 12 years, there was not a lot of action from the former government in infrastructure, skill development or any of the areas that lead to development. In the last 12 months or so, we have set up the Northern Australian Land and Water Taskforce. We are committed to that task force and we want things to happen as a result of it. We have taken our time to review it, and I am pleased that very soon we will be announcing a new membership of that task force and new terms of reference. We will be removing the opposition politicians that are currently on that task force and replacing them with skilled members, skilled representatives with experience in that part of the world and that can give us genuine advice. There are fantastic opportunities, whether they are in agriculture—I have a strong background in agriculture—mining or tourism, to help us develop that part of Australia. I look forward to working with the parliamentary secretary and that task force in building on some of the project ideas that will come out of that.

We have already established the Office of Northern Australia. We are going to bring forward big projects up there, so we need an office that can work with big project proponents and that can work with state and local governments to cut through red tape and make sure that we can get the job done. We are committed to that. I know that the parliamentary secretary and members from this side of the House are committed to making sure that we can support development, whether it is in mining, agriculture or tourism in that part of the world.

The new Office of Northern Australia will, as I have said, enable better communication and coordination across governments and inject a better understanding of Northern Australia into the Canberra policy mix. The office is establishing strong links between governments, industry and communities right across the north and these links will allow us to develop a shared vision for the future and to pursue ideas that build the capacity for economic prosperity and the potential of Northern Australia. I know in my electorate, there is a fantastic opportunity in bauxite development on the eastern coast, at Cape York Peninsula. We have CHALCO, a major Chinese investment, there looking to work with the Indigenous community of Aurukun and the Queensland government. This is an important project for my electorate that will provide jobs to Indigenous communities, whether in Aurukun or in other parts of my electorate. We are looking forward to working on this project with the Queensland government and also local communities to ensure that it goes forward.

There has been some talk of Western Australia. I have had the great opportunity to get across to Lake Argyle and have a look around the north-west. I know there are some fantastic opportunities up there. We need to ensure that any development in the north not only is economically sustainable but also protects the environment. We are going to get the balance right. We are going to make sure that we support development in that part of the world, whether it is in agriculture, mining, tourism or other areas. We are going to make sure that we get that development right. I am looking forward to working with the Office of Northern Australia and the new task force that will be announced soon and to making sure that jobs, economic opportunities and taxes continue to pour into the north to support those local communities and support that general part of the world.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You want to pull some of that back, Jim.

Jim Turnour (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have fantastic incomes that come in through taxation to this part of the world, and we want to make sure that they are invested back up there to support development in that part of the world. I commend the development of Northern Australia in a sustainable way and look forward to working with the parliamentary secretary and others. (Time expired)

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise this evening in support of the member for O’Connor’s private member’s motion. Mr Tuckey has always been a great supporter of the potential of north-west Australia. I recognise there is a potential greater than that for the name ‘Australia’ in the collective ‘Northern Australia’. It is not a time for parochialism here; it is time for collectivism. I hate the word but, on this rare occasion, I will recognise the need for collectivism. It seems we have in the Kimberley region of Western Australia the opportunity to solve this nation’s dilemma of sustainable energy that we have been locked into with this crazy debate about global warming, which we call ‘weather’. More importantly, we have the situation in the Ord Valley reaching through across the border into the Northern Territory. We have the opportunity to take away the problem of a failing food production industry with the weather change in the Murray-Darling by having the Ord stage 2 development extended.

We have a major problem, however, with the Northern Territory government. We have just replaced the head-in-the-sand Western Australian government. Hopefully, we will eventually change the head-in-the-sand Northern Territory government and give some vision to the people of Australia, which will encourage them to go to Northern Australia and take up the challenge of using the collective resources of land and water that is the Ord Valley stage 2. The potential is there. We have a body of water. The popular debate now is: ‘What are we going to do? We are running out of water in Australia.’ Lake Argyle in flood is 21 times the size of Sydney Harbour and it is being ignored by a head-in-the-sand government in the Northern Territory and an equally head-in-the-sand government led by Mr Rudd, and something needs to change.

We need to embrace these resources; we need to utilise them for the people of Australia so that we no longer have the debate that goes, ‘Oh dear—wring the hands—we are running out of water in the Murray-Darling Basin!’ If we want to solve the problem of food shortages globally, certainly at least in Australia, look no further than the Ord River. We need to put a few bob in federally and support the M2 channel. We need to get behind the Northern Territory government, drag their head out of the sand and say: ‘Wake up! You have a job to do here on behalf of Australia.’ It may be on behalf of feeding Asia but certainly there is a resource to be harnessed here. All this hand wringing does no good, you know. We actually have to do something. We have to recognise the potential that is available there. We have the natural resource; we have the expertise.

For 10 years the CSIRO at the Wise Institute in the Ord Valley in Kununurra has been growing GM cotton and getting incredible results. We can save on pesticide, we can save on water and we can double production from normal cotton crops. We have the potential to do that in canola as well. We have endless opportunities. But it seems that the people in government in the Northern Territory and now in government federally would rather wring their hands and talk up the problems rather than recognise and embrace the solutions. The solution is simply this: recognise that we have the resource; recognise that we have the science; and recognise that we have, during this time of the greatest economic boom that Australia has ever enjoyed, the finance to fund the development of Ord stage 2. The people are there, the science is there and the resources are there—why can we not develop the political will to put the pieces together and drive the Ord River, thereby solving so many problems that we simply wring our hands about today? The people of the Ord do not know why. They were led by the nose into electing a Rudd government. They expect the same Rudd government now to stop simply watching and reporting on grocery prices and to actually do something about moving this nation forward and solving the problems. (Time expired)

James Bidgood (Dawson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the member for O’Connor’s motion. While we sit on opposite sides of the House, and opposite ends of the nation for that matter, I do acknowledge that we both share a concern for the future prosperity of our electorates; they are both important electorates that contribute to the nation’s bottom line. We both want to see our beautiful north develop and prosper. I will, however, take this opportunity to assure the member for O’Connor that the Rudd Labor government not only recognises the energy, water and agricultural potential of northern Australia but also is investing in it. The commitment that the Rudd Labor government is giving to my electorate of Dawson in North Queensland is proof of that. The election commitments by the Rudd Labor government are commitments that are being delivered.

Since being elected, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has visited and met with key stakeholders in the Burdekin, in Bowen and in Mackay in my electorate and has spoken to them on issues such as ethanol, bio-fuels—

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hear, hear!

James Bidgood (Dawson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was waiting for that, Bob—and the future of cane. Since being elected, the Minister for Resources and Energy and the Minister for Tourism has visited Mackay and met with mining industry stakeholders. The minister has an excellent grasp of the issues in the area. Since being elected, federal cabinet has come to Mackay and heard about the real issues from the grassroots—all within eight months of forming this new government. The Rudd Labor government are giving the northern electorates of this great land the recognition they deserve—a recognition that the National Party would not give, even though they had the opportunity while in government for 12 years.

On the issue of energy, I, as part of the Rudd Labor government, have been in talks with Chinese delegations about the future of Chalco and Abbott Point. I am heartened to see the Queensland state government, through their memorandum of understanding, backing the development of Bowen as the preferred site for Chalco. I have and will continue to push for the development of a base load power station for the region to boost the productivity of the entire north. As many in this House are aware, our coal industry in the north produces some of the world’s finest grade coking coal. Our research and development investment in clean coal technologies is testament to our commitment to the industry—an industry that is contributing to the nation’s bottom line.

One way I will not advocate for powering up the north, though, is through nuclear power. While the previous National Party member for Dawson was an advocate for it and many of those opposite still defend it, the government and I state proudly that we will not have any of it. We will not be putting nuclear reactors in the north, or anywhere else for that matter.

I attended the Central Queensland mining expo in Mackay this year where I met with many local mining service companies based at the local industrial estates in Mackay as well as multinational mining companies. All of them are optimistic about the resources boom that is taking place and are confident that the Rudd Labor government is serious about building the basic infrastructure that is an essential part of productivity and nation building. This government is about developing all productive areas of this great land. We see the potential and we are delivering for the people of Dawson. We are delivering for far north Australia and adding to the economic bottom line of the whole nation. I support the motion.

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

Order! The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.