Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge the efforts of my National Party colleagues in the other place, the member for Dawson, George Christensen, and the member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, who have both been very, very strong advocates for the Rookwood Weir and the Urannah Dam project. The proposed Urannah Dam project will be transformational, as it will open up vast tracts of high-use agricultural land and create more than 1,800 jobs during construction and in operation. It will provide vital water security to the region, with an additional water storage of up to 1.5 million megalitres, and facilitate an irrigation project of up to 25,000 hectares. Water for the project will underpin the need of the Burdekin's beef, sugar, fruit and vegetable industries, keeping our farmers producing the top-quality foods they are renowned for.

The planned Urannah Dam will also be a hydropower station, which will help back up the solar power and renewables in the regions and back up the power needs of North Queensland for approximately eight hours. We've also committed an additional $7.5 million to the Rookwood Weir project. (Time expired)