A proposed price hike of 10.3 per cent for irrigators and farmers comes after the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) handed down its draft determination on regulated electricity prices.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington said the increase of more than 10 per cent would add extra stress and strain to farming families already doing it tough.
“Between the drought and floods our region has experienced over the past few years, and spiralling business costs, a power price slug would be a devastating blow for farmers across theNanango Electorate region,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“While our irrigation farmers are struggling, the silence from the Palaszczuk Labor Government in Brisbane is deafening.
“Labor’s Energy Minister Mark Bailey should come up here and meet with farmers across the region to see to impact of his inaction.
“I’ve had many local primary producers contact my office to explain how rising energy costs are severely impacting their businesses,” Deb said.
Shadow Energy Minister Andrew Powell said it was unbelievable to see that Labor’s Energy Minister had been sitting on his hands when the government had options to relieve this burden on farmers.
“The Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) recommended earlier this year that the government should develop an industry assistance arrangement to help farmers transition from the existing regulated tariffs,” he said.
“This assistance package would be a lifeline for farmers across the state doing it tough, but the Palaszczuk Labor Government has yet to even respond to the draft QPC recommendations.
“With the shift to new tariffs by 2020, businesses – mainly in the agricultural sector – could face power price increases of up to 50 per cent.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is frozen at the wheel when they have the power to act and help farmers right across the state.
“For twelve months now Premier Palaszczuk has embarked on countless reviews but has refused to make the tough decisions to give hard working Queenslanders a hand up.”
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, says the recent listing of the New England Highway by RACQ as the ninth worst road in Queensland demonstrates more funding is needed for this major road network.
Mrs Frecklington said the number of nominations for the New England to the RACQ Unroadworthy Roads Survey should prompt the Government to consider key upgrades as soon as possible.
“The northern section of the New England Highway between Highfields and Yarraman, in my Nanango Electorate really needs attention,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Unfortunately, in Labor’s Infrastructure Plan, this northern section of the New England has been completely forgotten.
“Our former LNP Government had identified how important the New England is, marking it as an inland alternative to the Bruce Highway.
“We had planned to fund the replacement of bridges at Emu Creek and the single lane bridge over Cooyar Creek. We also invested $10million to upgrade and re-align the Bum Bum Creek Bridge and this has made a huge difference on that stretch of the Highway.
“I urge the Labor Government to take on board the RACQ report and understand that this key regional road desperately needs an injection of funding,” Deb said.
Photo: Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, said more sections of the northern stretch of the New England Highway need upgrading, like the works undertaken to improve the Bum Bum Creek Bridge.
Members of the Goombungee Rural Fire Brigade have secured a commitment for the upgrade of their fire shed with the help of Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington.
Mrs Frecklington explained she was approached by the Brigade late in 2015 asking for support and representation to upgrade their current shed and possibly co-locate with the Goombungee SES.
“The group explained that they had been trying for eight years to negotiate the building of a new shed, as they were keen to expand, put in amenities and generally upgrade their premises,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“It seemed extraordinary that the process had extended to eight years, and I immediately wrote to the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, asking for the matter to be investigated and acted upon.
“This spurred some action from the Department and a Rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner attended the Goombungee Rural Fire Brigade meeting in February to discuss the issue with the members.
“Since then, I have received confirmation from the Minister that they have finally been able to negotiate an outcome for the Group, in consultation with the Toowoomba Regional Council. I understand all parties are now in agreeance that a new shed will be built on the current site to co-locate both the Rural Fire Brigade and SES.
“I
am so pleased that that I have been able to assist these hardworking Goombungee groups who do so much to keep our community safe.
Photo: Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington met with members of the Goombungee Rural Fire Brigade, Gary Lebsanft (middle), Adrian Lebsanft (left) and Lyle Douglas (right).
State Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson has proved she has zero credibility on vegetation management and no understanding of how Labor’s Vegetation Management (Reinstatement) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 would damage agriculture.
LNP Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Deb Frecklington, said Leanne Donaldson’s address to the AgForce State conference in Rockhampton left the audience wondering what they’d done to deserve the latest overnight assault from Palaszczuk Labor and the fairytale narrative from the Minister.
“How can a Minister speak about progressing one of the key economic drivers of our state’s economy, and yet vote to hamstring management and expanded production?” Ms Frecklington said.
“Worse, her claim to the AgForce conference that ‘the vegetation management issue only appeared in the house (parliament) last night so people are still getting their heads around it this morning*’ was simply not true.
“It’s really an insult,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Perhaps someone in her office can get a transcript of today’s ABC Country Hour and listen to what her Deputy-Leader Jackie Trad had to say.
“Ms Trad was crystal clear that Labor’s plans with vegetation management had been well and truly on the books as part of Palaszczuk Labor’s election platform.
“For the Minister to front the AgForce state conference and feign a lack of understanding and knowledge about its ‘overnight appearance’ is simply not true.
“As a Cabinet Minister she would have known exactly what was being hatched by her Deputy-Leader and the rest of the Palaszczuk Labor team.”
Ms Frecklington said not only were Labor’s laws unfair through the reversal of the onus of proof, they were retrospective, and if passed would take effect from March 17.
“These laws are a full-frontal assault on individual property rights. They will hamstring farmers and landholders from managing and developing their properties,” she said.
“They will stifle rural investment, and lower a dark cloud over property values and equities in many areas of rural and regional Queensland.
“A lot of landholders will be fearful of calls from their banks, asking what this all means.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government, spearheaded by Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, has unleashed a new level of pain for the bush and the suburbs with its draconian Vegetation Management (Reinstatement) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016.
Shadow Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps said while the LNP fought for and secured extra time for the parliamentary committee to take submissions and prepare a report on the Bill, its contents were obviously shaped by extreme green groups.
Mr Cripps said Labor's Bill went much further than simply overturning amendments put in place by the former LNP Government in 2013.
“The provisions are much more extensive and aggressive, and this will be a new level of pain for the bush," Mr Cripps said.
Shadow Minister Cripps said Palaszczuk Labor’s proposed laws were retrospective (March 17) and even though not yet passed by Parliament, would immediately shut-down farm management and development and apply a brake on investment and job-creation across Queensland.
“For example, Category R vegetation management restrictions are proposed to be extended into the eastern Cape York Peninsula, Fitzroy and Burnett/Mary regions, impacting on thousands of rural landholders for the first time," he said.
“Labor's Bill throws out the critically important High Value Agriculture and High Value Irrigated Agriculture pathways for the sustainable expansion of Queensland's agriculture sector, bringing future growth in rural Queensland to a screaming halt.
“Freehold landholders will lose the ability to manage their regrowth vegetation, while severe breaches of civil liberties make an inglorious return, including the re-instatement of reversal of the onus of proof – meaning farmers will again be considered guilty until proven innocent.”
The LNP’s stance has been backed by the Queensland Property Industry Council, which represents Queensland’s second-largest industry sector employer.
Queensland Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia Chris Mountford said while much had been said about the impact on the bush, there’d been no consultation with the property industry on urban development and housing costs.
“The reality is that it (Labor’s laws) will directly affect the cost of housing in urban areas, like South East Queensland,” Mr Mountford said in a statement.
“These proposed laws actually go well beyond reversing the changes made to the Vegetation Management Act by the previous government.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government has passed up an opportunity to reinstate integrity to Queensland hospital waiting-lists.
Shadow Health Minister Mark McArdle said the Labor Government voted to continue to hide data that would allow everyday Queenslanders to have access to waiting time stats.
“We gave Health Minister Cameron Dick the opportunity to vote to ensure openness, transparency and accountability in our public health system and allay patient concerns that they are not waiting longer than necessary,” Mr McArdle said.
“Queenslanders expect to get accurate and truthful information about the state of our hospitals and the clearance rates of surgery lists.
“Those patients on the surgery wait-lists are entitled to certainty and the LNP wanted to deliver that to them again.
“It was disappointing to see that the Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington used his casting vote to ensure his electors are kept in the dark over the local health service performance.
“I think the people of the Sunshine Coast would expect more, and indeed, deserve to have access to the performance data for the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service.
“Our Private Members’ Bill took the wait-list data out of the hands of bureaucrats and enabled the Health Ombudsman to have an oversight role – ensuring the data was not manipulated for political purposes.”
Mr McArdle said the Palaszczuk Labor Government was frozen at the wheel and Queensland’s health system was being held back by the demands of union bosses.
“Queensland Labor has an appalling track record when it comes to health creating nothing more than a payroll debacle, a fake Tahitian Prince and hidden waiting lists,” he said.
“Labor has always put its own political agenda, one dictated by union bosses, ahead of patient welfare but Queenslanders deserve better.”
The LNP voted to stop the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s Bill that seriously weakens the authority of local hospital boards and continues Labor’s centralization of power in George Street.
Shadow Health Minister Mark McArdle said the LNP Opposition voted against clauses in the bill that would have given the Health Minister the right to appoint people to local hospital boards at his whim.
“There was no requirement in the bill for the appointee to even live in the area and only the Minister needed to decide if the person has the qualifications to be appointed,” Mr McArdle said.
“The new legislation says the Minister can appoint a person without advertising the position, going through the proper merit-based selection process or getting approval from Cabinet or Governor-in-Council.
“What we’ve seen from Health Minister Cameron Dick is a return to George Street bureaucrats controlling our hospitals and much weakened local hospital boards.
“This Palaszczuk Labor Government is clearly frozen at the wheel and taking our health system backwards.”
Mr McArdle said the LNP had always supported the principle that local people including doctors, nurses and allied health professionals must have a strong say in how their local hospitals are run.
“Local hospital boards are run by men and women who know the local lie of the land and by imposing an outsider without local knowledge is dangerous,” he said.
“Minister Dick does not believe in local representation and is continuing his erosion of the power of these boards to interact with local communities and more importantly, be able to work with their own people and provide good and effective health services.
“No doubt we’ll see Minister Dick riding roughshod over local communities – appointing jobs for mates and union bosses.
“How often do we hear that local people know how to deal best with local issues? This is no more evident than in treating patients on a local basis.”
Mr McArdle said the LNP voted against this proposal and will reverse the policy if elected at the next election.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, says the Labor’s Infrastructure Plan has completely forgotten the South Burnett, with not one new project announced for the region.
Mrs Frecklington said the projects which have been included are ones that were announced years ago under the former LNP Government.
“There is not one new project for the future infrastructure needs of the South Burnett. In fact, our region has been completely forgotten,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“This is supposed to be an Infrastructure Plan to build the future of Queensland. Instead, the plan lists projects that are nearly complete, like the new Kingaroy Police Station which I announced in June 2014,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“We desperately need a new Kingaroy Hospital, but there is nothing mentioned in the plan at all.
“Our major road networks need key upgrades, like overtaking and turning lanes, yet our Highways aren’t listed either.
“During our time in Government, we were able to secure key infrastructure upgrades for the Kingaroy Ambulance Station, the Kingaroy and Nanango Police Stations, the South Burnett Rail Trail, the Kingaroy and Nanango Courthouses and the Kingaroy Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“Labor is still re-announcing them, some two years after they were funded.
“It is so disappointing that Labor continues to forget the South Burnett, but I will continue to fight for our communities and regional areas,” Deb said.
There is little hope of the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s infrastructure plan ending Queensland’s year-long infrastructure freeze, with no new projects and no way of funding them.
Deputy Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek said Labor’s much-touted infrastructure ‘plan’ was just rehashed, recycled, and reused projects
“Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her deputy have ground infrastructure investment to a halt in their first year of government and, sadly, it is going to take a long time for Labor’s infrastructure freeze to thaw out,” Mr Langbroek said.
“There is nothing new in this plan, Labor have produced a flashy document with little real substance – and what more could we expect from a Premier and Deputy Premier frozen at the wheel?
“Premier Palaszczuk still has no way to fund the projects Queensland needs and instead goes cap in hand to beg for money from the Federal Government at every opportunity.
“The challenge for Labor is not to produce more bits of glossy paper – which they are good at – but to outline exactly when these infrastructure projects will be delivered and how they will be funded.
“I think Queenslanders would expect more from their government than a Premier whose only infrastructure response is ‘someone else must pay for it.’”
Shadow Infrastructure Minister Tim Nicholls said after thirteen months Labor has only produced a document full of recycled projects and a wish list for the Federal Government.
“This plan is basically last night’s dinner reheated,” Mr Nicholls said.
“The Premier has wasted a year without an infrastructure plan and only on Friday calls the Prime Minister to demand he stumps up cash to fix Labor’s infrastructure freeze.
“Labor’s last infrastructure plan was cobbled together in the dying days of the Bligh Government, it was full of unachievable projects and ended up on the Palaszczuk Government’s scrap heap.
“In 2011, then-Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk promised a Brisbane subway system and further extensions to the Ipswich, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast rail lines which are no longer on this government’s agenda.
“Regional Queenslanders were promised projects like the Walkerston Bypass around Mackay and the Smithfield Bypass around Cairns, which have also fallen off the radar.
“This just highlights that Labor are good at producing glossy documents but aren’t very good at delivering on their commitments.”
Mr Nicholls said the LNP had a record of delivering projects to unleash the state’s potential.
“While in government we were able to fund ten new schools, the New Generation Rollingstock project, the Government Wireless Network, the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, Gateway Upgrade North and an $8.6 billion investment in the Bruce Highway,” he said.
State Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, will be visiting the Coominya region on Wednesday 23rd March and she is encouraging community members to come and have a chat!
Deb said she’ll be visiting the local schools in the area, and also setting up her mobile office in Coominya in the bus shelter opposite the Post Office from 11am until noon.
“I’m looking forward to once again meeting with people and listening to their issues. If you’d like to catch up with me, please call my office and we can book in a time,” Mrs Frecklington said.
Deb’s Mobile Office - Wednesday 23rd March
To make an appointment, please contact the Nanango Electorate Office on 4190 7100 or email nanango@parliament.qld.gov.au
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington, says the decision by ANZ to close the Toogoolawah branch is just another example of services being stripped from regional areas.
Mrs Frecklington said she had just been alerted to the closure via email late last week and is extremely disappointed that ANZ have made this decision.
“Small regional towns like Toogoolawah really value these types of services and once again we’re seeing large companies relinquish their commitment to serve regional areas,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Unfortunately, this has become a common theme for the big banks, who believe they can service their customers just as well online.
“For many people in the country, this just isn’t the case, with poor internet connection, or no computer access at all.
“The ANZ in Toogoolawah services a large area which will suffer from the loss of the bank.
“I am also really concerned about the staff who will lose their jobs. They have been a dedicated group of employees who understand our local community.” Deb said.
Mrs Frecklington said she has contacted the ANZ Bank to express her disappointment on behalf of the community and to request their decision be overturned.
Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson has issued a statement saying her decision on the tick-line will be final and no appeals allowed.
LNP Shadow Minister Deb Frecklington said the statement underlined the arrogance of the Palaszczuk Labor Government and its wilful disregard for cattle producers, their knowledge of their properties, regions and industry.
“Minister Donaldson initially tried to shut debate on the tick-line down and had to be pressured into extending the so-called consultation period for a month beyond January,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Now she’s at it again, saying her decision will be final and no appeals will be allowed.
“Labor’s approach to this issue show how out of touch they are with the state’s primary producers and they are holding Queensland agriculture back.”
Ms Frecklington, whose Nanango electorate is bisected by the tick-line, said the Palaszczuk Labor government and Leanne Donaldson had grossly underestimated the level of concern and commitment of landholders to maintain the tick-line.
“Today I’ve received another petition from producers, this time from Taroom with 465 signatures. It’s the eighth petition I’ve been asked to table in Parliament, underlining the level of concern surrounding the issue.”
Ms Frecklington said the Minister was crowing that a series of meetings had been held and more than 1000 submissions received, but then said her decision on where the tick-line went would be final.
“Queensland beef and dairy producers need to keep a sharp eye on the handling and outcome of this important issue,” she said.
“Other major pest and disease management issues are currently being reviewed, including Bovine Johne’s Disease, and producers and their industry leaders need to watch very carefully how the Palaszczuk Labor Government and the Minister proceeds.
“Once a decision is made, either by producers or in this case by the Minister, it will be very hard to turn back the clock from any shift away from current controls to self-assessment and individual risk-management.
“Hundreds of producers along the tick-line have worked hard for years to keep their properties and herds clean.
“We need to ensure this effort is not lost through the arrogant actions of a Minister who says her decision will be final.”
Ms Frecklington warned any major changes to the tick-line would affect management operations and potentially impact property values.
