The Palaszczuk Labor Government has failed to learn the lesson of the Federal Election by continuing to shift the goalposts on critical job-creating resource projects like the $900 million expansion of the New Acland mine.
LNP Shadow Minister for Mines Dale Last said the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s decision to politicise the New Acland approvals process would have serious implications for future projects in the state’s all-important Galilee Basin.
“Central and North Queenslanders have not forgotten how the Palaszczuk Labor Government shifted the goalposts in its attempt to kill off the Carmichael Mine project,” Mr Last said.
“Queenslanders sent a very clear message at the ballot box that they wanted to see job creating projects like the Carmichael Mine and New Acland approved.
“Labor are more interested in political stunts and hollow rhetoric and it’s clear that their own Queensland Senators have no influence over the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“Unfortunately, nothing has changed since last year and all we have is the same old anti-regions anti-resources and anti-jobs Labor Government.
“Now more than ever regional Queensland needs job-creating projects approved and fast-tracked, not stalled because of Labor’s ideological extremism.
“If Labor cannot be trusted to approve the expansion of a 20-year-old mine at New Acland, there is no chance that it will open the Galilee Basin to the new projects we need to secure a decade of resource jobs.
“Unlike Labor, a Deb Frecklington LNP Government has a plan to build a stronger economy to get Queensland working again.
“Our bold vision is to make Queensland Australia’s economic powerhouse again, the best place to get a job and get ahead.
“The LNP will open up the Galilee Basin and develop $50 billion of projects that support 15,000 new local jobs in Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and throughout regional Queensland.
“The LNP will provide certainty in the approvals process to encourage investment and secure more jobs.
“Every dollar of the royalties collected from the Galilee Basin will go into a new Queensland Infrastructure Fund to build hospitals, schools and roads we need.
“An LNP government will implement our economic plan for a decade of secure jobs, to get Queensland working again and drag Queensland out of the recession by stimulating the economy.
“The foundations of the LNP’s plan for a stronger economy and secure jobs are investing for growth, unleashing Queensland industry, supercharging the regions and securing our children’s future through industries like the
resources sector”.
The key elements of the LNP’s plan to ‘Boost the Basin’ are:
