Ministerial Statement:

[ozbob]

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=79822&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

Monday, July 09, 2012

State welcomes Federal infrastructure funding

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney has welcomed nearly $3.2 million in Federal Government funding for projects to support development in Central and North Queensland.

Mr Seeney said the Federal Government had committed $1.66 million for the North Queensland Resources Supply Chain – Operationalising the 50 Year Infrastructure Plan and $1.5 million for the Central Queensland Resources Supply Chain – Central Queensland Planning and Infrastructure Framework.

"The State Government put forward these planning initiatives as part of Queensland's Regional Infrastructure Fund to support development and investment in resource regions and ensure communities benefit from the development of the resource industry," Mr Seeney said.

"The State's resource supply chains depend on major infrastructure to move resources to national and international markets and these projects will help make it happen," he said.

"We welcome the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport's support of these projects and look forward to working with his department to ensure we deliver for the regions."

Mr Seeney said funding for the North Queensland Resources Supply Chain would go towards developing comprehensive models to help prioritise projects and investment in North Queensland.

"The government will use the Central Queensland Resources Supply Chain funding to develop plans to manage regional growth in Central Queensland including the Galilee and Bowen Basins," he said.

"The funding will also provide certainty to the coal and agricultural industries, as well as local communities, in terms of the Queensland Government's priority infrastructure projects and outcomes.

"This funding will ensure we deliver for the resource regions and we will work with local communities, business, industry and other levels of government to plan for future growth."

[ENDS] 9 July 2012

[Golliwog]

Any idea on what these entail?

[ozbob]

Not sure, but Albo is at Mt Isa rail station ..

Twitter

Anthony Albanese ‏@AlboMP

At Mt Isa Rail Station after supply chain announcement

[SurfRail]

Trying to be as conciliatory as possible given that they have just joined FMG's challenge to the mining tax...

[somebody]

Trying to be as conciliatory as possible given that they have just joined FMG's challenge to the mining tax...

An action which, as a non-lawyer, I would be surprised if the High Court even hears due to its merit, let alone being successful.

[Golliwog]

Not sure, but Albo is at Mt Isa rail station ..

Twitter

Anthony Albanese ‏@AlboMP

At Mt Isa Rail Station after supply chain announcement

Albo's release is a bit more informative as to what it involves:
http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2012/July/aa142_2012.aspx

Sustaining and Spreading the Boom Across the North


Media Release

AA142/2012

10 July 2012

Today I was pleased to participate in the formal unveiling of the Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone: 50 Year Freight Infrastructure Plan, an ambitious long term blueprint for boosting economic activity within the region almost six-fold to $84 billion a year within just five years.

It's a Plan this Federal Labor Government endorses and is prepared to invest in.

Indeed, we will use monies raised by our new mining tax to assist in turning the Plan's aspirations into reality. Specifically, we will provide almost $1.7 million to fund the appointment of a Supply Chain Coordinator.

The Coordinator's task will be to work with transport operators, government agencies, mining companies and local councils to improve the overall efficiency of the supply chain by eliminating bottlenecks, be they caused by bad management practices or a lack of physical infrastructure.

Developed by the councils covering the vast section of Queensland between Townsville and the Northern Territory border in close collaboration with industry and local communities, the Plan takes stock of the region's existing infrastructure and identified what will be needed to unlock its economic potential.

The Federal Infrastructure Coordinator Michael Deegan has labelled it the "best piece of work" he's seen in the four years since being first appointed to that position with Infrastructure Australia.

The financial backing we are providing to this visionary project is but the latest example of Federal Labor's determination to reinvest a significant proportion of the wealth created by our natural resources back into strengthening regional communities and securing our nation's long term prosperity.

All up, we expect to put some $6 billion from our Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) into the Regional Infrastructure Fund, available for projects such as the one I'm announcing today. It will also help to build the infrastructure which will support the mining industry's future growth and the local communities that work for it.

Federal Labor's MRRT is also funding tax relief for small businesses, better superannuation for workers and extra assistance for families.

Click on image for larger version
Sustaining and Spreading the Boom Across the North

Underlining is mine.

[Stillwater]

Thank God for Mr Albanese's media statement.  The state government version seems to have been written by someone who didn't have a clue what this was about.  Maybe the state sacked the backroom media person who would have written it, leaving it to the cleaner to prepare.

[Golliwog]

Thank God for Mr Albanese's media statement.  The state government version seems to have been written by someone who didn't have a clue what this was about.  Maybe the state sacked the backroom media person who would have written it, leaving it to the cleaner to prepare.

Yeah, Albo's may have only been about one of the two things they were funding, but it at least explained what the thing being funding actually was aiming to achieve. The state's was "Fed's are giving us money for X and Y. We'd like the thank the Fed's for money. X and Y and important for QLD."