Shorten can’t commit money

I COULDN’T help but smile at Mr Shorten’s announcement on water for Townsville. As an Opposition leader, of course, he can provide no money for anything!

The Coalition, as long ago as in the Northern Australia Whitepaper, committed real funding to feasibility studies on Burdekin Falls Dam, Hell’s Gate, Nullinga Dam, Burdekin Haughton Channel, Urannah Dam, Lakeland Irrigation Area, Tablelands Irrigation project, and the North West Queensland Strategic Water Storage, to name just some.

These commitments were reinforced as pre- election promises and have actually been budgeted for.

Australia needs a mix of power sources, and coal and hydro would seem to be the most economically appropriate for Queensland.

Mr Shorten’s narrow focus is not one shared by the Coalition, who believe we need to have the proper feasibility studies done.

But because water is controlled by State governments under the Constitution, we need Mr Shorten to encourage his State Labor colleagues to get on board with the Commonwealth and start work on Rockwood Weir, to which the Coalition has already committed construction funds.

And while we are looking at all proposals, one proposal I think needs revisiting is the Tully Millstream hydro- elec- tric project which has been shelved in the past because it impacts on a very small part of a massive Wet Tropics rainforest reserve.

Mr Shorten and his cronies would be better off joining with the Coalition Government’s sensible proposals rather than trying to grab a headline with some ‘ thought bubble’ comments on water.

The solution to Townsville’s critical water position needs proper planning and sustainable proposals, something that should have been done by Council and the State Government years ago, but which the Federal Government is now driving – and funding. IAN MACDONALD, Queensland Senator.