Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on a matter of incredible importance to my electorate—that is, the provision of local jobs. Local jobs do not occur in regional areas without strong regional economies, and the federal government, this coalition government, is doing everything it can to drive more local jobs into my electorate of Hinkler. Mr Deputy Speaker, you may or may not know it, but we have some of the worst statistics in the country when it comes to unemployment. Unfortunately—and it is unacceptable—the youth unemployment rate for the Wide Bay statistical area is currently around 28 per cent. Our broader unemployment rate is around nine per cent, and we have a per capita median income of just $34,000 per annum. When I talk to my local constituents, we deal with many issues; none of them is more important than the provision of more local jobs.

What are we doing as a government? Under the Regional Growth Fund round recently announced, we have provided a grant of $19 million to Bundaberg Brewed Drinks—the famous soft drink factory that makes Bundaberg ginger beer and delivers it right around the world—to build a $156 million superbrewery, which will provide 213 or more jobs in construction and 147 postconstruction. That might sound like a lot but—to give you an idea, Mr Deputy Speaker—they currently process about 650 tonnes of ginger a year for their soft drink; this new factory will require 6½ thousand tonnes of ginger. It is a massive increase and an incredible contribution from a local, family owned company.

Under the Building Better Regions Fund we have provided $3.7 million for stage 2 of the redevelopment of the Mon Repos Turtle Centre. Loggerhead turtles nest in only a couple of locations around the world, and one of those is Mon Repos beach. This will ensure that we can provide a good experience for visitors, whether they're visiting in season or out, which of course helps with our local tourism industry and provides more local jobs.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service will receive $3 million so that they can build and fit out a new aeromedical base and patient transfer facility in conjunction with the helicopter service at Bundaberg airport. This $6 million joint hangar facility will provide much better transfer facilities for patients. We have over a thousand patient transfers from that airport every single year. It will help people right around the district and right around rural Queensland, not just those in my electorate.

A smaller one but no less important is the $68,913 grant to the Bubs and Kids facility at the Coral Coast community church. They'll build a new permanent building for baby's and children's clothing. This local community group provides these services to those who are in need. I think it's a fantastic contribution. Can I tell you, out of all the people I ring about grants, none were more excited than the representatives from Bubs and Kids. They've been doing it pretty tough working out of a container for some years but they continue to provide a wonderful service to mums and bubs in need in our area.

Under the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages, there is $4.68 million to Macadamias Australia. That has meant they've been able to increase the value of a proposal to $22 million. They'll build a manufacturing facility, along with a tourism facility, on Goodwood Road in Bundaberg, where their existing factory is now. They are one of Australia's largest macadamia exporters. It's a fantastic opportunity for them that will, obviously, drive more technical, highly skilled and highly paid jobs into our region.

There is $2½ million to the Isis Central Sugar Mill. They intend to build an approximately $12 million railway into a new area to ensure cane supply for a factory that has been there over 100 years. They are the mainstay of the community of Childers, in the middle of my electorate. I congratulate them on one very important factor: every single year they have an intake of at least four apprentices. They are one of the few manufacturers left in our local region who take in local kids, typically the kids of farmers, and teach them a trade—whether it's to be an electrician, boilermaker or plumber or whether it's some other skill—which they can then go back and use in the local community or even just on their local farm.

There is $1½ million for Austchilli for a value-adding facility, $495,000 for Costa Group to expand their avocado-packing facility, and $475,000 to Consolidated Linen Service, which is a very large linen-cleaning service in Hervey Bay. That money will allow them to expand their capacity by 25 per cent and provide all the additional jobs that go with it.

We are helping out with the Building Better Regions Fund community investments stream, and one of the important grants was $17,600 to Bundaberg Regional Council for the Primary Schools Cup. It meant that almost a hundred netball teams from primary schools right around Queensland came to the new facilities in our area. It was a great economic boost, and I congratulate them all.