KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter, has today penned and delivered letters to the Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins, the Minister for Local Government and Emergency Management, Kristy McBain, and the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, calling for urgent federal assistance to control the locust plague currently tearing through Queensland’s mid-west. Mr Katter said the outbreak is “decimating pastures and crops, piling new misery on producers who are still reeling from repeated natural disasters in recent years.” “In the Julia Creek floods of 2019, a hundred million dollars of federal funding may well have saved a thousand million dollars’ worth of cattle and maybe a hundred million a year in lost production,” Mr Katter said “It is a classic example of the adage “a stitch in time saves nine” and Government needs to return to the agility that it had in years past.” In his letter, Mr Katter stressed that local councils have sounded the alarm and urgently require additional resources to manage and contain the locust infestation. “This plague has caused widespread damage to grazing country and cropping areas. Our producers are already battling from floods, fires, and droughts. They cannot be left to shoulder this crisis on their own,” Mr Katter wrote. The correspondence calls for consideration of redirecting unspent funds from the 2019 North-West flood cattle disaster relief package, which Mr Katter says remain idle in Treasury. “Our understanding is that there was an underspend from the 2019 flood recovery program, and those leftover funds, which have been accruing interest, are still sitting in Treasury. We’re simply asking that, at the very least, this interest be made available to support councils and landholders in fighting the locust plague now, and to strengthen long-term weed and pest management,” Mr Katter said. The letter also pointed out that the Commonwealth has previously committed $20 million for pest and weed control in the south-west region and urged the Government to deliver an equivalent level of support for the North-West. Mr Katter said the Treasurer’s role would be central to any immediate solution. “Treasurer, your leadership and swift action will be vital in helping our communities manage this crisis and protect Queensland’s vital agricultural industry. Effective measures must be implemented without delay.” Mr Katter reiterated that the issue is time-critical, with the potential to wipe out productivity in one of the nation’s most important cattle and cropping regions.

Standing in front of the acid plant in Mount Isa, Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and Queensland State Member for Traeger Robbie Katter threw their full support behind APLNG’s call for a domestic gas reserve policy, labelling the move “long overdue,” while taking aim at the Australian Energy Producers peak body for pushing to delay any action until 2031. “We’re selling our country’s gas for six cents a unit and buying it back for $16.60, how dumb are we?” Mr Katter said. “We don’t make money shipping it overseas. It’s time we stop exporting our energy advantage and start looking after our own people and industry.” APLNG’s support for a Reserve Resource Policy (RRP) marks a key moment of alignment between resource giants and the KAP, who have long warned that Australia’s failure to secure domestic energy supply would decimate critical regional industries. “Three-quarters of what you see in Mount Isa relies on gas for chemical production, for metals processing, for power. Without a reserve policy, three-quarters of this industry vanishes,” Mr Katter warned. Mr Katter recalled agreements made during his time in government, where gas was secured at $6 per unit for 25 years. But those contracts expired decades ago, and without a domestic reserve, Australians now pay nearly three times more to buy their own gas back from exporters. “We had a deal. We switched from gas to coal, locked in a price of $6 a unit. That deal’s long gone. Now, we’re paying $16.60 for our own gas. Meanwhile, Qatar earns $29 billion a year from gas exports. We export the same amount and get only $600 million. This is how dumb we are.” Mr Katter also raised concerns about the foreign ownership of major Australian assets, including ports and critical mining infrastructure. “Newcastle is owned by China. Mount Isa is owned by Zurich. Is there anything left that we actually own? If you’re going to sell your country off, at the very least, make sure we get a quid out of it.” The Katters are urging both federal and state governments to immediately implement a domestic gas reserve policy – not in 2031, but now – to protect Australian industry, regional jobs, and the nation’s energy security. ENDS

The weekly summaries include the legislative and policy movements within Parliament as well as happenings around the electorate and Bob's position on the big issues facing Australia. KATTER’S CHIEFS WEEKLY WRAP AUSTRALIA’S DEPENDENCE ON FUEL IMPORTS MUST STOP We must build Australian oil refineries and convert our sugar mills to produce ethanol Our fuel can, and should, be made in Australia and affordable. 🌾⛏️ 🚫 STOP YOUR STUPID ADS AND FIX OUR FRI#^*N MOBILE RECEPTION 🚫 Our regions are being DISCONNECTED due to a bungled 3G to 5G switchover. Telstra has an UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATION. So, stop spending millions on stupid ads and deliver this essential service!!!! 🥁🇦🇺 MIGRATION MUST STOP 🇦🇺🥁 March on 31 August, not because of hate, but because we LOVE our country. All future migrants MUST VALUE the Australian way of life and belief system. 💰BANKING BANDITS ABANDON THE NORTH 💰 Closures of Bendigo Bank branches at Tully and Malanda are a devastating blow. WE MUST KEEP OUR BANKING SERVICES, PROVIDING A PEOPLES BANK AT POST OFFICES. 🥳🎂 Happy Birthday, Karl Stefanovic 🎂 🥳 Karl’s a Crack Clay Shot and a good bloke. 🏥⛏️🤠🌾 🍻 HUGHENDEN, JULIA CREEK - LANDS OF OPPORTUNITY Yarns with salt of the earth legends who are the true meaning of “community”. 💐💐80TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC💐💐 We MUST NOT forget. We must teach in our schools the stories of the people that died to prevent the invasion of their country.