John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the 2019 year draws to a close, it is opportune to reflect on the historic achievements, the great successes and, of course, some of the unprecedented challenges we have faced this calendar year in the Groom electorate. Crippling drought conditions provide a backdrop to some of those challenges, alongside recent bushfire experiences that we have had in the region. But I remain enthused, impressed and most respectful of the ongoing resilience and achievements of residents of the Groom electorate across the Toowoomba, Oakey, Pittsworth and Highfields regions.

In 2019 we saw the delivery of some historic and long-awaited infrastructure projects. Most notably, in September, we had the opening of the $1.6 billion Toowoomba second range crossing, known as the Toowoomba Bypass. This has been talked about for 50 years. It is Australia's biggest inland road project and it has brought about tremendous benefits. Firstly, it has benefits for the residents of Toowoomba, given that traffic volumes along James Street have decreased significantly. Most noticeably, since that opening date, it has removed traffic jams and improved the safety for everyday commuters—mums, dads and their kids getting to and from work and school. But also, for heavy vehicles traversing our regions, it eliminates some 18 sets of traffic lights and provides a somewhat seamless journey through to the Brisbane port, saving in the order of up to 40 minutes in travel time. It is a win-win for our region and for transport that operates across the eastern seaboard.

The Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport continues to provide exciting opportunities for our region. We are currently celebrating four years of the Cathay Pacific weekly freighter flight to Hong Kong that is taking our produce to the world. Right now, the final stages of the new Qantas pilot training academy is being completed. From 2020 onwards, Toowoomba will be a powerhouse of aviation training and expertise, with up to 250 future pilots training at the facility each year. This provides tremendous employment opportunities for locals as well.

Just last Friday the Inland Rail intergovernmental agreement between the Queensland government and the federal government was signed in Toowoomba. Finally we have the state government locked in alongside the New South Wales and Victorian governments. As you yourself have noted, Deputy Speaker Wallace, this too will provide tremendous efficiencies for transport of both freight and passengers across the eastern seaboard. It is a magnificent project, a nation-building project.

Our University of Southern Queensland continues to excel, working with industry—for example, Wagners, in terms of composite fibre technology. They have received funding to the tune of $1.2 million for early-career researchers under the ARC rounds of funding that we have just seen. Local researchers at USQ are looking at opportunities to generate electricity from waste heat; are exploring new and exciting developments in hypersonics and learning what we can from our space research at the same time; and are further investigating how we understand the solar system through our world-leading space research in terms of new exoplanets and what we might learn from them. This cutting-edge research, alongside what is happening in industry in terms of our traditional agricultural industry, has worldwide implications.

Our support for industry continues—commercialisation and business support activities, for example. The $500 million investment that's promised for a new major medicinal cannabis development in our region will bring to fruition 1,200 jobs as that project heads towards final approval. The federal government has supported that through major project status and, of course, the licences from the federal health minister. There's also the Southern Queensland Export Innovation Hub. Some $800,000 from the federal government is assisting local firms to export to the world—of course, again, providing new job opportunities for generations to come.

Our region has a very proud military history. Our two defence bases receive support from the federal government and from locals as well. These are enduring bases. We also celebrate our history. I am working very closely with the Milne Bay Military Museum to preserve their important collection for years to come. We secured funding for the renovation of Soldiers Memorial Hall together with the Toowoomba Regional Council. Borneo Barracks will see New England Highway upgrades in front of the barracks there at Cabarlah to assist in the entrance and exit of PMVs at the site and to improve their safety and their integration with local general traffic. Other roadworks have been committed to by the federal government, particularly the Brimblecombe Road and the Warrego Highway intersection near Oakey. The federal government has announced the money, and it has it on the table. We need the state government to get on board and use their resources to get these projects implemented.

As I mentioned, drought continues to be a challenge for us. I am so impressed by and admire the various agencies that support our families dealing with drought. It was recently announced that the iconic Weis manufacturing business—nowadays owned by Unilever—will unfortunately relocate interstate. That will mean the loss of about 90 jobs by this time next year. But people need to understand that, whilst we grieve for those individuals—and I will be working with them over the next 12 months to make sure that they are in receipt of appropriate consideration from Unilever—new job opportunities abound. Just as old businesses move or, in some cases, close, so too do new businesses arrive or start up in our region.

The business case for inland rail, having secured the intergovernmental agreement with the state government just last Friday for inland rail, will allow us to proceed with consideration of passenger rail between Toowoomba and Brisbane. I say most respectfully to the Deputy Prime Minister and to the state minister for transport that, with the signature on the paper now for that intergovernmental agreement, there are two things that our region wants to focus on. First of all, any major infrastructure project does have an impact on landholders no matter where it is—in the city, on the coast and, in our case, regional Queensland. Those landholders must be dealt with appropriately. They cannot be expected to incur the cost of a large project that promises benefits for so many locals, so many Queenslanders and, in fact, so many Australians. So I will be working closely, as I am, with individual landholders as they negotiate with ARTC.

Secondly, having secured consideration of futureproofing for passenger rail through the tunnel that will make the traversing of the Toowoomba Range far more simple for freight rail, we want to ensure that proper consideration of passenger rail to Brisbane in the years to come. If the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and regions around Sydney and Melbourne can have that consideration, so too should Toowoomba—the leading regional area of the nation. That will be a very big focus for me going forward.

I remind those opposite that the coalition won the election. In Groom, we won the election. In fact, I'm proud of the fact that my team and supporters across the electorate secured the highest Liberal Party vote in the country. I don't gloat about that; I just say very clearly to those opposite and to detractors through the community that the people of Australia have spoken—in particular, the people of Groom have spoken. We have much work to do to implement the commitments that we took to the election. There is so much potential in our region. We need to continue to grapple with the challenges that I have mentioned, but that's exactly what we will do. We will be getting on with the job, as promised to the people of Groom in the May election, and that is my focus. I will not shy away from that responsibility.