Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington has congratulated the winner of her Facebook Survey competition – Lauren Kerr of Kingaroy.
Mrs Frecklington presented Lauren with the winning prize, a $300 Garden Pack from Airds Hardware in Nanango.
“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to complete my Facebook Survey,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“We had heaps of responses and now it’s my job to go through each survey and look at the issues which have been raised.
“This is going to help me to better understand what the current issues are for people living in our region and what needs to be done to make it an even better place to live.
“An initial look at the feedback that’s come through shows a real focus on the need to create local jobs, improve local health services and of course, a long list of roads that need attention.
“It was great to meet Lauren and present her with her prize. She tells me she doesn’t have a garden yet, but this will be a great excuse to start one!” Deb said.
Photo: Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington and Airds Hardware owner, Robyn Aird congratulate Lauren Kerr as the winner of Deb’s Facebook Survey competition
A future Liberal National Party Government will ensure Queensland’s speed camera program is focused on road safety, not treating motorists as cash cows.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington said the LNP would reintroduce “Speed camera in use” signs for all mobile speed camera units across the state to remind motorists to drive safely.
“The Labor Government removed the requirement for mobile speed camera units to display ‘speed camera in use’ signs to alert motorists to the camera,” Mrs Frecklington said. (*1)
“Unfortunately, many motorists feel trapped or tricked by cameras when “speed camera in use” signs are not clearly displayed.”
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is expecting a windfall 46 per cent increase in speed camera fines with revenue raised by speed cameras to reach $194 million but the road toll is sadly higher than the record low we saw in 2014.”
Deb said under the LNP there would be a requirement to display the “speed camera in use” sign in a prominent place that was visible to all motorists - not obstructed in anyway or placed in an area that was deceiving.
“Mobile speed cameras can be used effectively to encourage road safety and penalise dangerous behaviour,” she said.
“With fair enforcement, along with driver education campaigns and investment in safety infrastructure upgrades, the former LNP Government oversaw Queensland’s lowest road toll on record.
“Road safety should not be about treating motorists as cash cows – that is why this policy will return the focus to saving lives, not revenue raising,” she said.
“In order to change behaviour on our roads we must educate drivers and make sure they are aware of the road rules.
“Making drivers feel like they have been trapped by a speed camera does nothing to achieve road safety outcomes.”
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, says an old, demountable-style classroom block at Blackbutt State School will finally receive funding to be refurbished.
Mrs Frecklington said Blackbutt State School was desperately in need of the upgrades and $250,000 has been announced for the works.
“Last October I visited Principal Gayle Williamson, the staff and students at Blackbutt State School and saw first-hand the difficult and cramped conditions in several of the classrooms,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“I pledged to lobby the State Government to highlight the urgent need for facility upgrades and request funding for renewal of these old buildings.
“We have now secured this funding and I would also like to congratulate Principal Gayle Williamson on her work to bring this to fruition.
“The classroom to be renovated is currently being used by the Year 4 and 5 students. I’m so pleased that the students and teachers can now look forward to improved conditions and a better teaching environment,” Deb said.
Photo: Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, during her visit to Blackbutt State School – with Principal Gayle Williamson and in one of the demountable building classrooms.
The Somerset region hasn’t received a single dollar from Labor’s ‘Building our Regions’ Program, it has been revealed in estimates hearings.
LNP Member for Nanango and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and State Development, Deb Frecklington asked the Labor State Development Minister to point to any projects in the Somerset and he was unable to answer.
"The Labor Minister was not able to point to a single project in Somerset and instead pointed to projects in Longreach, more than 1,000km away," Mrs Frecklington said.
"This is a complete slap in the face to the Somerset community who have been abandoned by this do-nothing Labor Government.
"The Palaszczuk Labor Government is more worried about inner-city Brisbane seats than supporting the farmers in the Somerset.
"The Somerset has also been excluded from Labor’s
‘Works for Queensland’ Jobs program. For some reason, Labor have decided that the Somerset is not a regional area. This blows me away. How about they tell that to a landholder from Mount Kilcoy, Toogoolawah, Monsildale or Avoca Vale.
Through the former LNP’s Royalties for the Regions project, $1.65 million in funding was provided for key projects including:
"The Labor program really does show absolute disregard for rural and regional areas. The LNP understands regional areas like the Somerset are the engine room of our State economy and resource rich regions like the Nanango Electorate deserve to see the benefits of this industry.
Mrs Frecklington said the LNP would invest $500 million to ensure regional towns and cities starved of infrastructure under Annastacia Palaszczuk got their fair share.
"Only the LNP truly understands the needs of regional and rural communities and their years of neglect under Labor," Mrs Frecklington said.
"Whether it’s a road upgrade, new bridge, levee bank or upgrades to essential services such as water, waste and aviation infrastructure, we understand investment in Southern Queensland creates jobs, boosts morale and creates a flow-on effect throughout regional economies - something Annastacia Palaszczuk hasn’t got her head around.
"Only the LNP will build a better Queensland with our policies like the $500 million Royalties for Regions program."
An LNP Government will establish a dedicated $10 million Emergency Volunteers Fund to support the Queenslanders who support us in times of emergency.
On a visit to Hatton Vale Rural Fire Shed, LNP Deputy Leader Deb Frecklington said our hard-working volunteer organisations received some government assistance, but relied heavily on community support and generosity to provide vital emergency services for our state.
“The LNP values the critical role volunteers play in helping Queenslanders cope with emergencies,” Ms Frecklingtson said.
“These dedicated grants will help provide greater funding certainty to our hard-working emergency service organisations.
“When a cyclone’s ripped the roof off your house, fire’s threatening your backyard or you’re caught in a rip at the beach, Queensland’s hard-working volunteers are just a yell or a phone call away.
“Organisations such as Surf Life Saving Queensland, the State Emergency Service, Volunteer Marine Rescue, Rural Fire Service Queensland, Australian Volunteer Coast Guard and St John Ambulance Queensland rely on donations and local fund-raising to purchase new equipment and upgrade local facilities.
“Thousands of emergency service volunteers give up time with family and friends to help Queenslanders and the least we can do is ensure their lives and ours are protected by investing in the best possible equipment.”
LNP Candidate for Lockyer Jim McDonald said an LNP Government would establish a dedicated $10 million Emergency Volunteers Fund, where organisations could apply for and receive assistance to improve local community resilience and maintain or increase capacity.
“Each year Queensland experiences extreme weather events and it’s important we provide our volunteer organisations with the equipment and facilities they need to deliver emergency services,” Mr McDonald said.
“These funding grants for vital equipment and supplies would provide a more secure financial footing for volunteer organisations.
“Only the LNP has a plan to provide safe and liveable communities and ensure our hard-working emergency volunteers have the funds they need to keep Queenslanders safe.”
The LNP fund will be rolled out over three years and consists of two key elements:
Key facts:
Regional Queensland has again been dudded in the latest infrastructure pipeline released by Labor’s new infrastructure bureaucracy Building Queensland.
The brochure shows just one quarter of infrastructure proposals identified were located in regional Queensland.
LNP Deputy Leader Deb Frecklington said the report also showed the delivery date of many projects had now been delayed – again raising questions over the do-nothing, go-slow approach of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“The new brochure from Building Queensland shows just five projects have progressed in the last six months, while five projects have been delayed and one project has dropped out of consideration altogether,” Ms Frecklington said.
“In a state that has seen billions of dollars cut from infrastructure spending, this just isn’t good enough and shows Labor can’t be trusted to build the roads, bridges and dams Queensland needs.
“All we’ve seen in the last three years is a lot of talking and hot air about a $15.4 billion rail project in Brisbane with a secret business case Labor has so far refused to release.”
Ms Frecklington said regional Queensland had been shafted in this latest pipeline from Labor’s infrastructure advisory bureaucracy.
“It’s not good enough considering the vast size of Queensland that Building Queensland has only identified six projects outside of the south-east as warranting consideration,” she said.
“This government has slashed infrastructure spending from the majority of regions, including Townsville, Wide Bay and Outback Queensland.
“Sadly this infrastructure pipeline brochure shows there is very little on the horizon for the people of regional Queensland, who once again lose out to a south-east centric government that only talks about delivering infrastructure instead of actually building projects.”
A Tim Nicholls-led Liberal National Party Government will join forces with farmers and industry to address out of control electricity prices.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, said farmers could not grow their businesses or plan for the future when weighed down by crippling power prices.
“Farmers are facing astronomical electricity price rises due to poor policy decisions by this do-nothing Labor Government,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“This year alone electricity prices on farm and irrigation tariffs are increasing by up to 5.1 percent. This is almost triple the rate of inflation.
“It isn’t good enough and it’s why the Liberal National Party is establishing the Agriculture Energy and Water Council.
“This Council will bring farmers, Ministers and Energy Queensland to the table to tackle critical issues such as tariff reform and spiraling prices.
“The LNP set up the Council in late 2014 as many farmers faced the prospect of electricity prices doubling in 2020 when the obsolete tariffs ended.
“Labor axed the Council when it came to Government but we will bring it back and make it bigger and better should we be elected.”
Mrs Frecklington said it was disgraceful when Labor’s so called ‘energy minister’ blamed farmers recently for higher electricity prices.
“Labor policy such as loading $5 billion of debt onto power companies has meant Queenslanders are paying more than ever to keep the lights on and the irrigation pumps going,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The new and improved Council will be expanded to include the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, AgForce and Canegrowers.
“Through the Council the LNP will also look at water, given the movement of water is a major source of electricity use.
“If we can sort out electricity and water then we can ensure every farming family has a future.”
The purpose of the Agriculture Energy and Water Council will be to:
Mrs Frecklington said the LNP will start working with Queensland Farmers’ Federation, AgForce and Canegrowers even before an election is called.
“We want this Council to begin now so that if we are elected we can hit the ground running,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The agricultural industry can’t face electricity price increases of 50 -100 percent all by itself. The LNP will listen, plan and act on electricity prices.”
To learn more about Our Plan visit betterqueensland.org.au
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington said South Burnett electricians have secured a common sense win for the region by securing a Wiring Rules Roadshow workshop for Kingaroy.
Mrs Frecklington said that up until now, the workshop had not visited the region, meaning local electricians had to travel either to the coast, Toowoomba or Brisbane.
This issue was first brought to my attention by Wondai electrician, Mr David Brocklesby, who felt it was unacceptable that the South Burnett kept getting overlooked,” Deb said.
Mr Brocklesby explained that the Wiring Rules Roadshow is necessary for electricians to attend to ensure they are fully up to date with wiring regulations and procedures, but having to travel for hours needed to be changed.
“The outcome we’ve achieved is that the Electrical safety Office organized a workshop for Kingaroy for our local electricians. It’s about time and I look forward to it continuing,” Mr Brocklesby said.
“This may seem like a small win, but in reality, this means less travel, less time wastage and less hours away from business and family to attend these important training workshops,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“It seems like our region is forgotten by Brisbane based departments when they organize these types of events, so it is great to finally have the region ‘put on the Wiring Rules roadshow’ map.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington has questioned why the Nanango Race Club was granted just $400 in the recent Labor State Budget announcement of funding for Race clubs around Queensland.
Mrs Frecklington said other South East Queensland Race Clubs had received an average of $46,000, substantially more than Nanango Race Club received.
“The Nanango Race Club is right to question how their tiny grant of just $400 was determined,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“They have contacted me to express their disappointment and to try to find out how the Labor Government made this decision.
“Their $400 really is a joke. The Club needs upwards of $90,000 to improve safety including raising the running rail and installing barrier padding.
“This was identified in a Thoroughbred Venue Report completed in June 2016 and with these essential improvements waiting to be undertaken, the Labor Government must explain why just $400 was announced for Nanango.
“I have written to the Minister for Racing, Grace Grace, to try to find out why the Nanango Race Club has missed out,” she said.
