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April 19, 2022

INFRASTRUCTURE projects that will facilitate new coal and copper mines in North Queensland must go ahead and will be key policies Kennedy MP, Bob Katter, negotiates for in a balance of power situation after the federal election.

Commitments from the major parties on a taxpayer-owned, multi-user rail line into the Galilee Coal Basin, a new low-emissions coal fired power station in North Queensland, and the Copperstring Transmission line (taking the national energy grid from Townsville to Mount Isa) would have a heavy weighting on Katter’s decision making.

“The people of North Queensland are very concerned that the LNP and Labor have signed up to Net Zero by 2050 and sold out their mining jobs,” Mr Katter said.

“A vote for the KAP will ensure that these vital industries continue to flourish in North Queensland.”

Bob Katter says the future of the North West Minerals Province (the greater Cloncurry and Mount Isa region) is dependent on construction of the Copperstring transmission line starting in the next few months.

The Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) MP said the State Government had failed to pass the necessary regulatory framework so that construction can begin, and the Federal Government had not stumped up the funds yet.

Mr Katter said the major parties had proven they were good at doing paperwork but were not good at building or delivering infrastructure.

“The only industry that has ever prospered under the ALP and LNP is the paper industry. We are at another election and still the Federal Government has not facilitated the funding for the Copperstring transmission line, they’ve got the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) and the Critical Minerals fund, not actually building any infrastructure,” he said.

“At the last state election, the Premier stood in front of Mount Isa Mines and said, ‘we will build Copperstring’. Well, it’s two years later and she still hasn’t passed the necessary legislation and regulations so that construction of the transmission line can proceed,” Mr Katter said.

“The miners of the North West Minerals province are reliant on the world market prices for gas, which are through the roof with the Ukraine conflict. The United States with a reserve resource policy pays $6 to $10 a unit for gas. We are hopelessly non-competitive unless we can connect to the national electricity grid with the Copperstring transmission line.

“Mount Isa used to be a town of 30,000 people until the State Labor Government introduced FIFO mining in the 1990s. We will not combat this population decline unless we get Copperstring and open new mining operations.

“We got a stay-of-execution through the State Government at the last state election when they gave concessions to Glencore to keep the Copper Smelter running. We will not open more copper mines and keep the smelter running unless we can get competitively priced power.”