Budget 2021 lacks bold vision for North Queensland: Bob Katter

May 17, 2021

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter has criticised the Federal Government’s 2021 Budget for lacking bold vision, with the plan containing no new funding for major, economic driving infrastructure. 


Major Infrastructure 

Mr Katter said he was disappointed there was no new funding for the Copperstring 2.0 transmission line that will connect the North West Minerals Province to the national electricity grid, bringing down energy costs for major mines and refineries in the Mount Isa/Cloncurry region, once built. 

“This Government has found money for tax relief for 1000 small brewers and distillers, but no additional funding for Copperstring. I’m starting to think they’ve been on the drink,” Mr Katter said. 

“The budget shows Australia is heading for $1 trillion of net debt in the next few years, and we need to be building infrastructure to create revenue that brings that figure down. 

“Make-money infrastructure is what we need; transmission lines that open new mines and refineries, irrigation dams that create more farms and industry, and roads that connect ports to new regions. We don’t want absorb-money projects like an Olympics in Brisbane, ring roads in Melbourne or airport train lines in Sydney.”

Mr Katter is still hopeful of funding for projects like Copperstring through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) but believes it will need to be topped up as $2.8b of the $5b fund has been committed (as at 25 March 2021).[1]

Water

Mr Katter was buoyed by the continued commitment of funding for the Hughenden Irrigation Project (HIPCO), Big Rocks Weir and Hells Gates Dam, which have either undergone or are undergoing business case studies. 

“These studies and processes are part of the modern world we live in, but if I had my way the bulldozers would-be on-site tomorrow,” he said. 


Roads 

Roads were the big winner for the Kennedy electorate in the budget with a significant amount of money allocated for the western parts of the electorate. Including: 

• $400m for the Inland Freight Route (Mungindi to Charters Towers) Upgrades

• $26.1m Flinders Highway strengthening and widening between Cloncurry and Julia Creek

• $18.4m Flinders Highway overtaking lanes between Townsville and Charters Towers and $7.8m for wide centre line treatment on the same stretch of


Highway

• $12.2m Gregory Developmental Rd (Charters Towers - The Lynd) widening 

Mr Katter said he was disappointed no money was allocated for planning of a new road from Cairns to Mareeba (Atherton Tablelands), commonly known as the Kuranda Range Bypass or Bridle track. 

“However, my office is continuing to negotiate with the State and Federal Ministers,” he said. 

“A Queensland Govt study is underway; and once complete we will seek to get federal funding for design and engineering work. We currently have 60,000 residents trapped. It’s not an acceptable situation.” 


Disaster, Insurance & Weather 

Mr Katter said it was excellent to see confirmation of the $10b government guarantee to make insurance more affordable in Northern Australia, with $2.4m allocated for a taskforce to establish a reinsurance pool by July 2022. 

“It’s now a major priority for the KAP to ensure that this reinsurance pool is not derailed,” he said.

“I will be working closely with the local brokers to ensure we get the right outcome. I’m placing the Government on notice.” 

The cost of Cyclone Niran, which did extensive damage to banana crops between Tully and Babinda, was revealed in the Budget. $5m has been allocated for grants to primary producers who were affected, with individual growers able to receive $75,000 each. 

“Banana growers like Frank and Dianne Sciacca, and Dean Sinton deserve a huge congratulations for this funding,” Mr Katter said. “If it wasn’t for their determined fight, we wouldn’t have these grants.” 

The new Greenvale BOM rain radar will be operational ahead of the oncoming wet season.


Health

In a breakthrough for regional areas like the Kennedy Electorate, for the first time the Government will implement a progressive incentive schedule, which increases bulk billing payments for doctors based on remoteness. The $68.5m scheme has been welcomed by Kennedy MP, Bob Katter. 

“I’ve been consulting numerous doctors in my area including Mareeba’s Dr Grant Manypeney and Gordonvale’s Lisa Fraser, and this is exactly what we wanted. I’ll be meeting the Health Minister this month to go over the exact details, but this is very promising. Under the previous scheme areas like the Gold Coast were considered the same as Hughenden.” 


Media 

The Australian Associated Press (AAP) will receive $15.0 million over two years from 2020-21 to support the financial sustainability of its news wire and regional news reporting service. 

Mr Katter wrote several letters to the Communications Minister about the future of AAP and said he was relieved to see the funding in the budget. 

“Regional journalism has taken a big hit, so we need all the assistance we can get,” he said. 

“AAP has established a bureau in North Queensland due to this funding so it’s excellent to see certainty around its future. We need reporters keeping the b**tards honest, and we need our stories and concerns amplified to the rest of the country.” 


Communications

$68.5m has been allocated in dedicated funding over the next two years 2021-22 to deliver the Regional Connectivity Program and the Mobile Black Spot Program in Northern Australia. 

“When I travel around my electorate, especially the far-flung parts, telecommunications problems are the number one issue raised with me,” Mr Katter said. 

“I’ve worn out the carpet visiting the Minister and it’s great to see recognition with budget funding. My office will be working closely with the Minister to ensure this funding is well spent.”


Veterans

Mr Katter welcomed the $174.2m over two years from 2021-22 for a Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. 

“It’s essential that we get solutions out of this Royal Commission,” he said. “I’m proposing a veterans workforce cooperative that would link soldiers leaving the military with jobs and a career.” 


First Australians 

Mr Katter has long advocated for market gardens in First Australian communities in North Queensland to combat high rates of diabetes and malnutrition. 

Whilst there’s no specific funding for these initiatives in the budget, there is $10m over two years to support existing Indigenous enterprises and community organisations in the primary industry and land management sectors to expand or improve viability. 

Mr Katter has been working with residents in Yarrabah to establish market gardens and farming enterprises and hopes they can tap into this funding. 

“I am meeting with Minister Wyatt in the next parliamentary sitting and will be raising these issues directly,” he said. 

“The statistics for First Australians are horrendous and if they reached the United Nations, we would become the South Africa of the 21st Century. Life expectancy rates in the community areas are nearly half that of the average Australian. The Government must get off its tailbone.”


Fuel Security

Mr Katter said fuel security measures announced it the budget were laughable and made a mockery of Australia’s sovereignty and so-called ability to defend itself. 

The budget outlined a refinery production payment to help maintain Australia’s refining capability, and support to assist the refiners to conduct infrastructure upgrades. The budget also outlined $50.7m to establish a new fuel security framework. 

“We only have two refineries left (the others have closed) and they refine a miniscule amount of fuel that is often not from an Indigenous source,” he said. 

“We need to build a brand new, major, economies-of-scale refinery right here in Australia. The Government must also consider a nationwide ethanol mandate, coal to diesel technology, electric vehicles in the cities and waste to diesel technology - developed by Wagga’s Southern Oils.” 


Environment 

$29.1m of additional funding will be invested to protect native species from the threats posed by invasive pest animals and weeds in the native environment. 



Mr Katter met with the Environment Minister about feral pigs and prickly acacia weed in a pre-budget meeting, but says more funding is required to control the problems associated. 


-ENDS – 

Trump's tariffs should wake our government from its economic delusions

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 9, 2025
“Trump’s protecting his industries from the uncontestable, government-backed mega-production coming out of China. Their factories aren’t built by the private sector - they’re built by the government, with government money, and they don’t need to service debt,” Mr Katter said. “The Chinese government doesn’t throw money away on ego monuments and feel-good ‘net-zero’ whims. It builds factories that produce things, freeways and tunnels that create wealth and economic generation. That money, in turn, produces value. It’s deflationary, not inflationary. “The Australin Government, on the other hand, have obliterated our production sector in favour of ideology and self-indulgence.” Mr Katter said there were no domestic industries left that could compete on a global stage - except beef, grain, and mining (not processing) – and warned that places like Mount Isa, home to a major copper smelter, were in the firing line if trade conditions deteriorated further. “You can’t expect a 25,000 mega-tonne refinery in Australia to compete with a 250,000 mega-tonne refinery in China. And yet our response has been to party on, strangling our industries and primary producers with over-regulation and skip down a net-zero path without caring about whether the money comes from. This had led us to become a net importer of nearly all our food, manufactured goods and fuel.” “We are one of the most resource rich countries in the world, yet we are fast becoming an economic backet case. It’s economic insanity.” He continued: “A billion people go to bed hungry every night—and we in Northern Australia could feed half a billion of them, if the government got out of the way and stopped treating our industries like a nuisance.” Mr Katter also took aim at the Federal Government’s trade policy, warning that Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ recent economic optimism was “delusional at best.” Katter reserved some of his strongest criticism for Foreign Minister Penny Wong, saying Australia’s relationship with the U.S. was already frayed—and that her approach to China was “worse than naïve.” “She’s got us surrounded. Chinese warships circle us like crows around a carcass, and we call that diplomacy.” Mr Katter said his party, along with other regional crossbenchers, would soon be pitching an ‘Omnibus Bill’ to reshape Australia’s economy and re-establish essential industries. “This delusion must stop. Australia must follow America’s lead and start protecting our own industries, primary producers and manufacturers.” ENDS

Katter warns PM and Premier: Fail Isa, fail the nation

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 3, 2025
Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, today visited Mount Isa, a city built on mining and industrial manufacturing, as its people face the grim reality of a slow-motion industrial collapse 20 years in the making off the back of Glencore's threat of imminent closure should they fail to get a "government bailout". Mr Katter spoke directly with residents, many of whom have spent generations working in the mines, smelters, and refineries that once defined Australia's critical mineral capacity. "For decades, governments in this country have taken our mineral processing for granted, and at the same time Glencore has made short-term self-serving decisions on investment and energy that created risks for the entire country," Mr Katter said. "The Mount Isa-Townsville industrial complex is not just important; it is the most important manufacturing production line in this nation. It is the only place in Australia where copper ore from across Queensland and beyond can be turned into usable copper – the copper that builds your homes, powers your electrical infrastructure, underpins weapons manufacturing, and drives the computers and technology that hold our country together. "Yet governments have sat idly by while Glencore has been allowed to gain complete control over Australia's most valuable industrial asset, and they've made some disastrous decisions that are biting them and risking Australia's minerals production. And now, with copper prices strong, demand rising, and the world screaming for critical minerals, our processing capacity is being shuttered. "For 20 years, governments and Ministers have come to Mount Isa for their photo opportunities, promised cheaper power, more competitive markets, and finally, CopperString. But every announcement has been just that – words and no action, and they've left every major decision up to a ruthless multinational trading company that is now threatening to walk," Mr Katter said.

Reserve gas policy welcome, but Mount Isa/Cloncurry still on the brink

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 2, 2025
"A devil is often in the detail – and we haven't seen that yet with this proposed review into the East Coast Gas Reservation scheme. While this announcement appears to be very positive, it may change, and my position may change on it," Mr Katter said. Mr Katter warned the energy crisis facing Mount Isa was "absolutely critical", and said the town is not connected to the national electricity grid and relies entirely on gas for electricity, chemical production and industry operations. "The copper smelter, the copper operations, the dozen copper mines, the silver-lead-zinc plant, make Mount Isa the third biggest industrial centre in this country, just behind Newcastle and Gladstone," he said. "The complete collapse of Mount Isa's industrial base was imminent last week. The dominoes were already falling. Mount Isa pulls 3,000 jobs directly out of Townsville and fuels billions in industrial exports. If it goes under, it's not just a local issue – it's a national one." Mr Katter said he sent a blunt letter to both the Prime Minister and the Queensland Premier, warning that, without action on a gas reservation policy, they would be remembered as presiding over the industrial destruction of the region. "We are paying up to $16.60 for a unit of gas in Mount Isa, while the Americans and Russians are paying $5 US. It's impossible to survive or compete under those conditions. Give us RRP and we go forward. Deny us, and there will be a collapse." Mr Katter said he had received no response from the Queensland Premier, despite personal representations by state MP Robbie Katter, but acknowledged that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken direct action by including new gas from the Northern Territory, including the Beetaloo Basin, in the policy.

Katter demands increased defence spending in the north: “We’re unlikely to be fighting penguins in Antarctica… the threat is in the north”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 24, 2025
As recently as late last week, Mr Katter held discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister, making representations for the new amphibious army fleet to be ported at Cairns and for final funding to be provided for the ship lift so that maintenance can be undertaken on Australia's naval vessels. "Unless we are going to be battling the penguins of Antarctica, maybe we should cast our eyes north to where the threat is more likely," Mr Katter said. "To go to war now is not only inconceivable but a catastrophic failure of defence planning that echoes the same fatal mistakes made in World War II. "In the Second World War, our three armies were sitting in the Libyan Desert while the Japanese prepared to invade. Whether it was dereliction of duty or outright stupidity, it was the most damning judgement on a government in this country's history," Mr Katter said. "They knew we were about to be invaded, and they sent two forward scout groups to meet the threat — 3,000 young men and the 49th Battalion. Half of them had never fired a rifle in their life. Our Air Force was so under-equipped it was a joke; the Wirraway had machine guns on the wings and no chance of taking on Japanese Zeros." Mr Katter compared the current state of Australia's Defence Force to those dark days, saying the government's claims of readiness are farcical in the face of the growing international military capability.

Katter furious: No justice for graziers devastated by 2011 ban

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 18, 2025
Katter accused the Court of "turning their backs on those who bore the brunt of a government blunder" by underestimating the impact of the ban on long-term export numbers and industry viability. Mr Katter said the Court's minimisation of the industry's losses is an insult to the thousands of families who suffered financial and emotional devastation and warned the ongoing delays in compensation will only compound the damage. "At nearly 300 million people, Indonesia is one of the biggest countries on earth. There's a massive market for our beef. They need beef but they can't afford it if it's processed in Australia. We can grow it to one year old very inexpensively," Katter explained. "If they grow the beast out and then process it there, it becomes very competitively priced." Katter warned that Australia's cattle and sheep herds are plummeting, with live exports being one of the few remaining options for sustaining the northern economy. "We need to quadruple our beef herd in Australia. And just the opposite is happening, it's the most extraordinary phenomenon. The cattle numbers have gone from 32 million in the late '70s down to 24 million and that's where they've stayed," he said. Katter took aim at the ALP's economic legacy, particularly its handling of Australia's once-thriving wool industry. "The Labor Party has earned their place in the history books. The biggest export earner for Australia for 200 years was wool. In 1990, it was Australia's largest export item at $6 billion per year. But Keating's obsession with free market economics completely demolished the wool industry. And what was left was destroyed by Labour's ban on live exports. "So congratulations Mr ALP, you destroyed the biggest wealth earner for this nation." Mr Katter said the Court must now ensure justice is delivered when it determines how much compensation is due to those who suffered under the 2011 ban. ENDS

Katter to Woolies: “Not Sundays, not in Gordonvale”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 13, 2025
"I plead with every Australian to understand this. I know it's easy to go to the bigger store, and when you think "food", you think "Woolworths and Coles". But it's because you've been brainwashed; you see it on your TV over and over again: morning, noon and night. "But, it's not just one more trading day. It's the beginning of the end for the independent shops that hold our communities together," Katter pleaded. "We will tenaciously oppose and take down the names of anyone that pushes 7-day trade at Gordonvale Woolworths. "Look, I understand. I'm a person who can hardly ever get to the shops 9 to 5 during the week. I come from the Mount Isa and Cloncurry area; I've been a miner working continuous shifts, and I'd deeply appreciate a service like that. "But do I want to live in a society with only one person I can sell food to and buy food from? Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's what we're living in right now." Mr Katter said the duopoly of Coles and Woolworths is rapidly turning Australia into a corporate monopoly state, with suburbs like Gordonvale the latest target. "Let's be clear: this is not about community choice or convenience. It's about wiping out the last little guys still standing. The butcher, the bakery, the fruit stall on the side of the road – all gone, so we can hand more power to the supermarket duopoly. "These supermarket giants can do whatever they like; they can force their staff to work incredible hours, not to mention they own the major political parties. "But they may not have noticed, but the major parties can't even get 33 percent of the vote; people just won't vote for them anymore. "I will personally fight tooth and nail, snake and goanna. It won't be the Marquess of Queensberry Rules here, and if I fail, well, I'll go down fighting. At least I can know that. "Please, we are Australians, and this is un-Australian. This has got to be fought with fire." ENDS

Katter slams ACT's Reconciliation Day: "They're dying at 49 while Canberra takes a day off"

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 11, 2025
At a press conference in Townsville, Mr Katter announced his discovery of declining life expectancy figures in remote First Australian communities such as Doomadgee in North West Queensland . "I have encountered sickening hypocrisy in my life, and I have kept these figures to myself because I don't want my country to be likened to South Africa, but I can't stay silent any longer. "I am divulging now with great rage that the life expectancy for real fair dinkum blackfellas living on their community has slipped from 54 down to 49 [ 1 ] . For the rest of us, it's about 82. "Every person in Australia should be sickened by this. Sick and tired and fed up. "There's not one single person in Canberra doing anything about it, and they have the absolute hypocrisy of giving themselves a holiday to commemorate our First Australians. "The only place where they voted Yes was Canberra and the place responsible for this sickeningly low life expectancy is Canberra."

Katters declare emergency for Isa and Townsville

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
Crisis talks, led by Katter's Australian Party Leader Robbie Katter, Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae, with key stakeholders, recognise that the future of the entire region is at risk if Mount Isa is lost as the administrative hub of the North West Critical Minerals Province. "We need to implement 'use it or lose it' policy – meaning Glencore must be forced to sell if they won't operate," Mr Katter explained. "The smelter must stay open and we need to make CopperString happen now. All of these things are linked; they all play a significant role in ensuring Queensland's economic stability and Australia's national sovereignty." Mr Katter said the nation's future was at risk if governments continued to cave to foreign-owned corporations. "There is $680 billion worth of copper in the North West Minerals Province – just sitting there. To put that in context, the 2024-25 projected federal revenue is $711.5 billion. "And the audacity of Glencore to ask for $2 billion – this is not a handout to a foreign corporation – it absolutely cannot be. If Glencore wants government money, then at the very least, there must be a ceding of 50% control – or they get nothing. "Let them close the mine if they want – then the government must, by law, impose rehabilitation and remediation. I've got mates who close mines and get hit with huge bills. But when it comes to big foreign corporations, it seems in Queensland, there's one set of rules for us and another for them. "We will assert our sovereignty, and I'll tell you now – we'll be taking names of those who don't back us on this. Because if you're not fighting for Australia's ownership of its resources, you're not Australian. "We've got to start having some tough conversations in Brisbane and Canberra, and that's really got to happen in the next four to six weeks, or we're going to be in deep trouble. "I want to congratulate Mayor Peta MacRae, the Mount Isa City Council, and Robbie Katter – they're doing everything they can. But we need the rest of the country to wake up." Bob and Robbie Katter are hosting a public 'Future of Mount Isa' meeting on Friday, June 6, at 6.30pm at the Barkly Hotel in Mount Isa. For more information or to register, please call 07 4743 3534 or email Bob.Katter@aph.gov.au. ENDS

“Australians must own the Port of Darwin” - Katter

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
"The Port of Darwin must be owned by the Australian people," Mr Katter said. "With an emerging diplomatic rough between China and the US over ownership, it is most extraordinary that the Australian Government appears unwilling, or unable, to see the value and strategic importance of such critical infrastructure. "Why are we not fighting tooth and nail to ensure our most strategic port is not controlled by a foreign corporation? Even if it is our friends, the Americans. "This megalomaniac obsession with globalism and free-marketism has crippled our nation. Until recently, key assets like the Darwin Port were owned by the Australian Government – as they were for all of our history. 

Katter calls on young riders to saddle up

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 23, 2025
"Since the dawn of time, man has been riding horses, and he will continue to do so until the end of time," Mr Katter said. "Our history, not just in Australia but across the world, has been shaped on horseback. You can't understand world history without understanding the role that horses played on the Silk Road – from China to Europe, those horses were the beating heart of civilisation. "Working with horses gives you courage, discipline, and pride – all the things our country desperately needs more of," he said. "Horse riding is the most enjoyable pastime – and it keeps you fit and grounded in the real world, not glued to a screen. "I've never been real keen on trekking. I've done about six or seven hundred kilometres in the army and another eight or nine hundred kilometres along the road to St Francis station in my prospecting days. I've been extremely keen on horses ever since." Kisten Bodkin, President of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said pony clubs are for anyone, even those like Mr Katter whose riding careers have been less than glorious. "Horse riding builds more than just riding skills. We've always said that 'pony club is fun', and that's kind of our motto. Even when you're having a rough time, pony club is fun, and it's truly for everyone. "Working with horses teaches personal responsibility and discipline, and gives a goal for young people to aim for, and we love seeing them excel at their passion. "Even though it's an individual sport, you learn how to socialise with people of all ages and you make lifelong friends. "We've seen ourselves and our children grow up, and while school friendships often drift apart, the pony club friendships just seem to stand the test of time." Zoe Macor, Secretary of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said the club has become a multi-generational legacy in her family. "My kids have grown up in the club and are now instructors here, and my grandchildren are coming up the ranks as well. "It's wonderful seeing our children travel to state and national events. The kids see their instructors riding and competing, and have something to strive for. "With three generations of our family involved in the club, well there's nothing quite like it." Mr Katter encouraged locals to saddle up for a night of entertainment at the Gordonvale Round of the 2025 Great Northern Bullriding Series this Saturday, May 24th, from 7pm. The event will raise funds for grounds and facilities upgrades, ensuring up-and-coming riders have a place to grow their skills for years to come. ENDS
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