Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My constituency question is to the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources on behalf of the attendees of the Fitzroy water forum recently held in Rockhampton. Will the minister update the House on how the $500 million National Water Infrastructure Fund will aid in the construction of important water projects, including potential projects like Eden Bann and Rookwood weirs, which I am fighting for near my electorate of Capricornia. When will the approved projects be announced?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. The honourable member knows full well how important it is that our nation is not a nation for which dams infrastructure is something of the past. We want to be the nation that builds on the legacy of Curtin, Chifley and Menzies and goes forward with a further construction of dams, because we know that water is wealth and that a dam is a bank that stores the wealth. We note also that, through the white paper process, we appropriated half a billion dollars, $500 million, towards the feasibility and construction of dams. We have already got that process started with the states on 19 November and look forward to a reply by 21 January, for which they will nominate what they believe are the preferred sites. We are working very closely with the state ministers, and we have already had discussions in the member's electorate about Eden Bann, Rookwood and, of course, Nathan Dam. Nathan Dam has been discussed back and forth since 1924. 1928 was the first time it appeared in the parliament. I think it is about time that we go a bit further than just discussing it.

Eden Bann and Rookwood are not only important to the member for Capricornia but also very important to the member for Flynn, who is sitting right beside her. This is part of the process of expanding our agricultural production in the area, whether it is cotton, whether it is to help in the industry development of Rockhampton or whether it is to help in residential development. It is this part of the process that makes it so crucial that our nation goes towards the construction of dams.

I would note that, in the per capita megalitre of water that is stored per person in Australia, we are going to be forced to an agenda of building dams whether we like it or not. Over the last few decades, Australia has had an aversion to the construction of dams, which has meant that our capacity has been reduced. I am very happy to be working with the member for Capricornia, because we know that the member for Capricornia and the member for Flynn are great champions of the construction of new dams in what is the second-biggest catchment after the Murray-Darling Basin, which is the Fitzroy catchment. We know that it further assists in the development of our mineral resources in that area and we also know that, around Taroom, it is absolutely essential, especially for the Xstrata mine, that we have further construction of water infrastructure.

I close by stating that one of the great dreams of Australia is to move water into the Murray-Darling—to move water from one catchment to another—and the Nathan Dam would actually allow that to happen. It would allow it to happen in part to try and assist in some of the requirements around Miles in the northern part of the Murray-Darling Basin. So this is a government of vision. This is a government with a plan. The plan is afoot, and we will be delivering.