The QLD Government made it illegal to build a port they don’t own

Transcript

Chair: Senator Roberts, do you have questions of Infrastructure Australia before we get to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility?

Senator Roberts: Yes, I do. Thank you for appearing today. Does Infrastructure Australia have any views on what roadblocks there are to port development in Queensland? I know you wouldn’t be prepared. Off the top of your head.

Mr Copp: We’re not aware of any particular barriers.

Senator Roberts: Have you done any work or any reviews on the effect of the Sustainable Ports Development Act 2015? It is Queensland legislation.

Mr Copp: No.

Senator Roberts: It appears to me that legislation is a significant roadblock to ports in our state. I don’t know if you can even build a boat ramp under that law. It completely restricts—I have formed that view after listening to an expert on this; I will explain more in a minute—port development all the way up the Queensland coast except for Gladstone, Townsville, Hay Point and Abbott Point. Do you know who owns those ports?

Mr Copp: No.

Senator Roberts: The Queensland government.

Senator McDonald: It’s part of a broader strategy. It is a Queensland government strategy from a long time ago.

Senator Roberts: They own the ports. I had a meeting with a business in my state recently based on the Gold Coast. The name of the business is SEATRANSPORT. It works internationally. It is a magnificent little firm on the Gold Coast. It is a truly incredible business, humbly creating some of the most incredible boats I’ve ever seen. They showed me a plan they had to create mini ports all the way up the Queensland coast, dozens of them. It is private investment. They have already been operating one successfully in the Gulf for 30 years. I think there are others around the country. From what I could see, it would literally unlock Far North Queensland, especially in agriculture. The Queensland government passed the Sustainable Ports Development Act that said no more ports in Queensland except those that I just listed that the state government owns. This is blatant evidence that productive infrastructure investment is being squashed so a state government can maintain a monopoly and control. Surely don’t we have to consider that an impediment to infrastructure in Australia?

Mr Copp: We haven’t done any sort of analysis of that legislation. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Senator Roberts: Thank you for that. My staff asked this committee yesterday. They said I could ask these questions either in infrastructure or in regional infrastructure. When I got to regional infrastructure, I couldn’t get the answers. They said to go to Infrastructure Australia and the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority, which is now tomorrow, I understand, in the environment committee.

Chair: I’ve never been in that committee, so I can’t help you.

Senator Roberts: Do you have a list of every infrastructure project that is started or underway in Queensland outside the south-east region—in other words, regional Queensland?

Mr Copp: Mr Brogan might be able to discuss that. We have a piece of work called market capacity, which may answer that question.

Mr Brogan: We collect data from the Queensland government and other governments across Australia.

Senator Roberts: Including federal?

Mr Brogan: Including federal. It indicates information as simple as when a project would start and total investment cost, but no more detail than that, for the purposes of understanding market capacity constraints—supply and demand constraints in the market.

Senator Roberts: The labour for construction work?

Mr Brogan: Correct. One hundred per cent. That’s correct.

Senator Roberts: Could we get a list of that, please, for Queensland projects outside the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane?

Mr Brogan: That data is collected with the governments through an agreement that is in place to formalise the confidentiality of the data supplied. I understand your question. I think we have to take on notice what we can provide to respect that confidential information.

Senator Roberts: I don’t want the details. I just want a list of the projects worth over $100 million or more outside the south-east metropolitan area.

Mr Copp: We’ll take that on notice.

Senator Roberts: Thank you.

Chair: We are scheduled to finish at 11 o’clock.

Senator Roberts: I have one more question, maybe two. There are two specific projects. One is the Cairns Western Arterial Road. The website for the department says that Infrastructure Australia has not yet assessed the business case. Has it?

Mr Copp: No.

Senator Roberts: It has not?

Mr Copp: No. It has not.

Senator Roberts: What about the Isaac and Whitsunday regions productive water supply, incorporating the Urannah Dam proposal? Do you know where we are on that?

Mr Tucker: We have a proposal on our priority list. Again, it is stage 1. It recognises that is there is an opportunity to provide high productive water in that region. We’ve had some engagement with the proponents of the Urannah Dam over the last couple of years, but a business case hasn’t been brought forward to us for detailed assessment.

Senator Roberts: Thank you. This is my last question. I haven’t seen the Queensland Great Dividing Range scheme on any list of infrastructure. Am I able to give this to Infrastructure Australia?

Chair: You would like to table it?

Senator Roberts: Yes. It’s a wonderful project. It goes over old ground, but it is entirely new. The concept is old but the project is new. With a proven business case, it provides four million megawatt hours of hydropower, which is 11 times Snowy Hydro 2.0. It is powering $2.5 billion in primary production every year at a cost of just $22 billion, which is less than Snowy Hydro. I think it is important that Infrastructure Australia is aware of this kind of proposal. It is being led by some people with track records on infrastructure.

Mr Copp: Thank you, Senator.