Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Central Highlands region of Flynn is incredibly diverse. Whilst the region has become known in recent years as being the epicentre of the mining industry boom, other industries from agriculture to tourism have continued to play a major part in the regional economy.

The mining boom has created significant wealth and has fostered unprecedented growth in towns such as Emerald and Blackwater. However, we know that it has also put pressure on the cost of living and housing availability. With the advent of the decrease of commodity prices and the new federal government taxes on commodities, communities have experienced a considerable slow-down in the mining operations, resulting in uncertainty created by the company restructuring.

Despite this slowdown, the Central Highlands have a lot to offer. Job losses in the mining industry and associated industries have become a feature of the region in recent months: 150 redundancies at Ensham mine; 600 jobs lost to Xstrata across two states, including the Central Highlands; and a wind back of operations at Curragh mine from seven-day to five-day working week rosters. There are few new projects on the horizon, and the companies are sitting back and waiting and looking for further developments in the area. At the moment, they are not making a move.

Despite the uncertainty that job losses have created, the region still offers many positives: agriculture, tourism and construction are the key economy drivers, as well as resource sectors.

Housing availability has dramatically improved. Affordability of the houses has dramatically improved, with average rent prices falling in recent months to around $580 per week for a four-bedroom home in Emerald. The unemployment rate is 2.6 per cent, by comparison to the state average of about 6.3 per cent—lots of jobs outside of mining, of course. Whilst the current government is persisting in trying to crush the life out of the national resource sector with the carbon and mining taxes, the coalition understands that these industries are not just cash cows for a government that cannot manage its own finances.

Aside from this, we have to take positives out of the current slowdown. This means the greater availability of labour for small and medium businesses in regional towns that have suffered through the lack of workforce availability in the past. Housing affordability has dramatically improved, which means that pressure to earn big money in wages is not as intense as it has been, allowing the people to enjoy all of the benefits of living in a regional community. Lastly, the Central Highlands are just a flat-out good place to live. I have spent a lot of time in the highlands and recommend them as a warm and welcoming place, whether it is enjoying water sports or fishing at Fairbairn Dam.