A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT AN “AIRPLANE WITH WITHOUT WINGS” AFTER TASKFORCE REPORT
04 March, 2010
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To develop Northern Australia based on the findings and recommendations of the Northern Land and Water Taskforce’s final report would be like flying and airplane without wings according to one Northern Politician.
The Federal Opposition Spokesman on Northern and Remote Australia, Senator Ian Macdonald said following this week’s ABARE Conference on Northern Australia, that instructions given to the Taskforce to exclude key regional centres and give no consideration to the new dams was akin to taking the wings of an airplane before takeoff.
“The success of industry and economic development in Northern Australia, particularly in Queensland, relies on the vital skills and services that can be accessed from major centres on the coast,” Senator Macdonald said.
“The instructions given to the taskforce after the change of Government in 2007 were to ignore the economic significance and development opportunities that could be provided to the north from centres between Cairns and Gladstone
“Any investigation into the future development potential of Northern Australia that doesn’t consider the significance of major regional towns and cities doomed from the start.
“The constraints placed on the Taskforce by the incoming Rudd Labor Government ensured that the report would present the recommendations the Government wanted; recommendations that would let them sit around do nothing.
“This was an investigation from which dams were excluded because they breached Labor party policy in the states and failed to even mention the most significant problem facing Australia’s indigenous community, that of Wild Rivers legislation. Clearly the wings of the aircraft were removed prior to take-off and this is of course why the Rudd Government’s report will crash without trace,” Senator Macdonald said.
END
4 March 2010
Media contact Gordon Terry (07) 4771 3066 or 0427 960 255