Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

As Senator Williams well knows, to expand that food production to meet the growing needs of Asia and those markets we're accessing overseas we need more water too. We're standing here today in the country's largest food bowl, the Murray-Darling Basin. It's benefited from the use of water, and we want to have that around the country as well.

I can see in the gallery Councillor Tom Gilmore and Councillor Bob Manning from up in North Queensland. They want to support water infrastructure in North Queensland too. That's why we're supporting the business case for the Nullinga Dam up there in Queensland, and that's why we're backing the Rookwood Weir in the Fitzroy Basin. That's why we've been backing the Rookwood Weir for over 500 days. I welcome the Queensland government's commitment. We will get that weir built, and we will get agriculture moving in this country.