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

Thank you, Senator Canavan, for your question and for your continuing championing of critical water projects for Queensland. Providing vital infrastructure to regional Australia is key to our nation's recovery from COVID-19, and getting water infrastructure out into regional Australia will provide them with a great platform to grow and prosper. We need it for the businesses that underpin our regional communities, create local jobs and support the way of life of thousands of regional Australians who wouldn't want to live anywhere other than in Central Queensland, I would say, Senator Canavan, with respect to you and your colleague. The Liberal and Nationals government is getting on with the job of building new water infrastructure to meet the needs of regional Australia. Projects such as Rookwood Weir and the proposed Urannah Dam are key elements to delivering for regional Australians who rely on vital water infrastructure.

Since the establishment of the National Water Grid Fund in 2015, the Australian government has committed $1.9 billion towards water infrastructure projects in Australia—30 construction projects, eight of which are complete, six underway and a further eight expected to start construction in this financial year. Major projects under construction include the Rookwood Weir, a $183.6 million Australian government commitment that will support 200 jobs during construction, and the Mareeba-Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme, an $11.6 million Australian government commitment due for completion in early 2022. Then we come to the Emu Swamp Dam, a project near Stanhope, constructing a 12 gigalitre dam on the Severn River. The dam will increase water security and provide growers with the confidence and certainty to expand agricultural production. Further, we've committed $4.8 million in Queensland through the grid Connections funding pathway. This is an initiative about driving the construction of smaller-scale projects to improve water security and reliability right across the nation.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan, a supplementary question?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to 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)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan, a final supplementary question?

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

We are growing regional Australia by adding the one ingredient you must have to grow anything, and that's water. In the 2021 budget, the Liberal-National government invested a further $258 million from the $3.5 billion National Water Grid Fund. This includes funding towards 12 new priority water infrastructure projects. Since 2015, our government has committed $1.8 billion for 30 projects. Our investments will provide water into the future and unlock the economic potential for new and expanded agriculture.

New or augmented projects include the Eurobodalla Southern Storage project in New South Wales, the Werribee irrigation district modernisation project, the recycled water on the Bellarine project in Victoria, and the Warwick recycled water for agriculture, recycled water treatment upgrade project in Queensland. We've also delivered eight projects that are fully operational in South Australia and the Scottsdale irrigation scheme in Tasmania. Our investments will secure the future of the regions.