Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

() (): Hells Gate dam was proposed by Dr Bradfield, the greatest builder in Australian history—known for Sydney Harbour Bridge, Story Bridge in Brisbane and the underground railway system, for which he won the international prize for engineering. His water supply dams are still the major source of water for the city of Sydney to this very day. In 1929 he proposed the Bradfield scheme, stage 1 of which was Hells Gate dam. This dam, which has had $3 million from the Labor government to upgrade the figures—we thank them—and $3 million from the Liberal government to upgrade the figures—we thank them—will provide $2.5 billion in income each and every year, forever, for the Australian economy. It will create 20,000 jobs in the highest unemployment area by far and away in Australia, the Townsville-Mackay region. An adequate and cheap water supply is desperately needed for Townsville, for all of North Queensland's baseload electricity and for beef production. North Queensland's much-needed and long overdue lot feeding will enable us to process in North Queensland instead of sending cattle south and then having to send the beef north. The dam will provide massive timber production. Its major function is to provide ethanol and biodiesel. (Time expired)