KAP TRACKS A BET TER PLAN FOR GALILEE

KAP state leader Robbie Katter has called for the Queensland Government to scrap the $ 5.4 billion Cross River Rail project and reinvest in a rail line for the Galilee Basin.

Mr Katter threw his support behind mining in the Galilee yesterday following Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to veto any Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loan for Adani.

Adani is seeking a $ 1 billion NAIF loan for construction of a rail line from its planned Carmichael mine to Abbot Point but Mr Katter said it should not be privately owned.

“What we need to realise is the Galilee Basin is a lot bigger than Adani,” he said.

“The rail line is the key to the Galilee, the Government needs to own that.

“They must scrap the Cross River Rail and build the rail line in the Galilee.”

Mr Katter is a strong supporter of opening up the Galilee Basin.

“We cannot afford to let tens of thousands of jobs go,” he said.

“Those mines need to be built for the people of North Queensland.”

It was announced yesterday that KAP had agreed to a preference deal with One Nation and Mr Katter said he was looking forward to having a strong presence in the next parliament.

“The jury is out now and the public is not going to give a strong mandate to either party,” he said. “It’s more than likely we will have three to five seats.”