Media Release

KAP Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has called on the State Government to come clean about its “agenda to sacrifice regional Qld so they can build pleasure domes in the parliamentary precinct” after the axing of yet another North Qld project.

“Last week they took the axe to our vital frontline biosecurity defences by announcing that not only would they not be proceeding with a state-of-the-art laboratory at JCU in Townsville, they were also closing the existing lab, taking 20 jobs with it.

“Today we have the axe being wielded on the Mareeba airport redevelopment, which had been promised in lieu of sewerage treatment upgrades.

“And this on the back of their cancelling the new operating theatre at Cairns Base Hospital; or backpedalling on grandiose promises to revitalise the tourist-reliant city’s CBD while at the same time announcing they were going ahead with a Brisbane CBD revamp.

“They’ve also shut up shop at the Townsville office of Events Qld, leaving the countless volunteers who tirelessly run our tourist drawcard festivals and other events with no local assistance. This followed the LNP Leader’s pre-election promise to the community that services would be located in the city to empower local decision-makers, in accordance with their ‘policy of decentralisation and support for regional Queensland’ – yeah right.

“They’ve also ruled out any support for a project that already has $350m of Federal funding to link Mount Isa to the National Electricity Grid, and revitalise every mid-west community along the 1000km stretch to Townsville.

“And they’ve refused to throw in a single dollar toward the $5.5m of Federal funding to help build the long-awaited all-weather safe harbour desperately needed by the cyclone-recovering community of Mission Beach.

“Will we next week hear that they won’t be following through with their $40m election pledge to dredge Trinity Inlet as they trot out that tired old tune of, ‘Labor left us broke’?

“The former Brisbane City Mayor who now heads up this state’s LNP Government needs to come clean on just how much he intends to strip from the very regions he declared so important to Queensland’s growth and development prior to the election.”