Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Waters raises her concerns about the Great Barrier Reef. I share her concerns about the Barrier Reef, but under no circumstances do I believe the reef is under threat. Last night the Minister for the Environment put forward plans so that some mining and natural gas facilities could go ahead. They were put forward under the most stringent conditions, where there is going to have to be a net benefit for water quality, $89 million will be contributed to support the health of the Barrier Reef through programs such as Reef Trust and there are 95 environmental conditions at Abbot Point and 53 at Curtis Island.

The problem with Senator Waters is that she lives with rose-tinted glasses. She does not recognise that jobs are created. We have just faced one of the most difficult situations in Australia, with the biggest icon in Australia announcing its closure today, affecting many thousands of jobs and the jobs hanging off it. I do not want to debate the rights and wrongs, who said what and who did this. The main point of my argument is that those jobs have to be replaced somewhere or people will not have the standard of living that they have been able to afford over the last 20 years.

The Arrow liquefied natural gas plant proposal is owned by Shell and PetroChina, it is going to cost $17.46 billion and there will be 3,715 construction jobs and 600 operational jobs. That is vast. That is so many jobs created. When we turn to the Adani project, we are looking at thousands more jobs that are going to open up in Bowen. Senator Waters says there are many people who have been opposing it and ringing up the minister's office complaining about the decision. Well, I can tell Senator Waters that the town of Bowen is absolutely rejoicing. They have had many failures in Bowen. When the abattoirs went, 1,500 jobs went.

Interestingly, I understand that the town's resident Green is complaining, while her husband and son work at Abbot Point.

Senator Waters interjecting—

That is the information I have, that one of the greenies in Bowen is out there spruiking—