Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today on the north-east region of Tasmania, which is in my electorate of Bass. As some may note, I have spoken on this region before, but it is something I feel is important to again discuss. Some people would have us believe the situation in the north-east is all doom and gloom. These people need to take a look at what is really going on—there are many opportunities for job creation and for the community to work together to both share their ideas and their opportunities to utilise and maximise the region's potential.

It is time that the other side, particularly Senator Guy Barnett and Tasmanian state member Peter Gutwein, stopped portraying images of doom and gloom gave up spreading misinformation about this region. It is no wonder that I read a headline in the Launceston Examiner today, 'Abbott stands for nothing.' It is disappointing that Senator Barnett, as he leaves this place, is more interested in scaremongering tactics than in reinforcing and fostering the positive and innovative ideas that the region is so full of.

Recently, I toured the north-east and met a number of innovative, passionate, hard working and community-minded people. I began my tour at the Wood Lea Nursery and was greeted by Tony Waites. Tony is a man full of new ideas about how he can sell his seedlings and plants from his nursery, including increasing sales to the mainland. The best thing is that Tony also has the drive and energy to make his vision become a reality. He didn't put his head down when Gunn's, FEA and Forestry Tasmania decided that they didn't need as many seedlings anymore and 80 per cent of his sales dried up virtually overnight. He looked for other business opportunities and I wish him well in his new venture.

I then visited the Headquarters Road Dam site, where a 1,980 megalitre dam is being constructed. This dam is being built strategically within the catchment, using the region's geographical and hydrological features to greatest advantage. The construction of the dam has employed forest contractors that were made redundant from the downturn in the region's timber sector. Other employees have come from the south of the state but are staying locally, helping to stimulate the local economy. Tasmania has 13 per cent of Australia's runoff; the Murray Darling in comparison has six per cent. Tasmania—especially the north-east—with four irrigation schemes currently being constructed or planned, is making the most of its potential.

The Upper Ringarooma scheme is planned to be a 10,000 megalitre dam. It will have 27 kilometres of pipeline, including four separate pipelines. One of these is a two-way pipeline so that water can be pumped into the dam to help fill it and then pumped out again when needed. So far 50 per cent of the landholdings have taken up water rights, the others already have existing water rights, and the dam has not even started construction as yet. The Winnaleah Dam site is in the final tender stage and the Great Forester-Brid River irrigation scheme is currently having storage and supply design options being determined by the Tasmanian Irrigation Development Board.

This is all very impressive, especially for farmers and graziers in the north-east region. It means a constant and reliable water supply, allowing for increase in development and new business opportunities. These areas have good runoff and are suitable for high-flow winter storage and summer release of irrigation water without actually being subject to high impact flood events. The people of the north-east of Tasmania are developing innovative ideas to make the most of the resources they have and to further develop those resources into the future.

There is another group of passionate people in the town of Winnaleah, also in the north-east, who are working together to further develop the Winnaleah irrigation scheme. The scheme that they currently have can no longer meet demand, so they are developing a new plan to increase the size of the pipeline. There are 35 kilometres of existing pipeline, and this group is working hard to have another 10½ kilometres of 600 millimetre pipeline added. There is currently some discussion surrounding the size of the pipe to be laid, but I strongly support the Winnaleah irrigation scheme's proposal for a 600 millimetre pipeline. If the scheme is not built to the right dimensions from the first day of being commissioned, it will not operate to its full potential. This scheme has great potential for the area and it makes me wonder why members on the other side do not praise and become engaged with these efforts instead of continually writing off the region. The local farming community who manage the scheme would like to install a mini-hydro scheme as part of the current expansion. The income generated from the production of renewable hydro-electricity would allow further expansion and upgrades to the scheme into the future. However, to maximise efficiency, there needs to be a 600 millimetre supply pipe installed rather than the proposed 500 millimetre pipe.

I met with Michael Brill from Stronach Timbers in Scottsdale. Michael and his family own and operate a sawmill which produces a wide array of timber products, but have also recently begun operation of Stronach Labor Force. This was done off their own backs and currently helps between 30 and 40 people to find employment within the region, in dairy farming, vegetable suppliers, the wine industry, lavender farms, tourism and golf tours. If you have not played golf at Lost Farm and Barnbougle then you have not played golf at the best courses in Australia. There are even jobs in building and automotive—they have a wide range of employment opportunities to assist in accommodating those in employment transition in the region. Stronach Timber are also currently considering a number of new possibilities that have the potential to grow, develop and re-create jobs in the forest industry, and I would like to congratulate them on their passion and willingness to help others and wish them all the best in their new ventures.

I also stopped in at Glenn Moore's vegetable growing and packaging facility and I was amazed at the amount of produce that local producers package and prepare for sale. So many different vegetable varieties from all over the north-east are being sent to locations around the world. It was here that I also tasted the Tasmanian produced 'Rhu Bru', a delicious rhubarb drink that is made in the north-east. These are yet more examples of the level of innovation and the close relationships between community members that exist in the north-east of Tasmania. Minister Snowdon recently joined me at Scottsdale to announce an $18.7 million project to redevelop the Defence Science and Technology Organisation's nutrition research facility. This facility researches and manufactures the freeze-dried components used in the Australian Defence Force patrol ration packs and has been producing these since the early 1970s. In fact, Scottsdale is the only facility in Australia to both produce food and undertake research into the nutritional value of ration packs and rationing systems used by the Australian Defence Force. This announcement will generate employment opportunities in regional Tasmania and is an announcement that was welcomed by the community. It again reinforces the federal government's commitment to the people of Scottsdale and the north-east and that Defence has a long-term future in the region.

At the same time, Minister Snowdon announced a new partnership between the University of Tasmania, CSIRO's Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. This new partnership will focus on establishing a joint research centre in food innovation. This would support and enhance the research activities that are already happening at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation establishment in Scottsdale. This is sure to benefit the local agricultural industries, local manufacturers of ingredients, small business development and employment in the north-east. The partnership will also allow for a broader pool of experts to work together and for the research capabilities to grow that will benefit not only the Australian Defence Force but also the needs of the wider Australian community.

As can be seen, the level of innovation and passion within the people of the north-east is impressive. It is time for the Liberals to stop scaremongering, take a look at all the good things and new ideas that are being generated in the north-east region of Tasmania and embrace and support these ideas instead of writing off the area. There are so many great ideas and hard-working people that will make these ideas become a reality. It is really positive to see and experience this in the region. I am very impressed with what I have seen and experienced and I look forward to working with the people of the region to help in ensuring that these ideas become a reality. I congratulate the hard-working and dedicated people of the north-east of Tasmania.