21 August 2013..A Coalition Government, if elected, will include the North West Queensland Mineral Province in its Northern Territory Gas Study in recognition of the important energy issues facing north Queensland.


Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, Ian Macfarlane said that while energy security is an issue for all Australians, it’s of particular concern in the north-west of Queensland where future growth, investment and jobs require a secure, reliable and affordable energy supply.


“The Coalition has committed $1 million to a study looking at the national pipeline grid and gas issues affecting the Northern Territory, including a pipeline linking Tennant Creek to Mount Isa. Given the interconnectedness of Mount Isa and the Northern Territory, the study will also be extended to cover the North West Queensland Mineral Province,” Mr Macfarlane said.


“LNP candidate for Kennedy, Noeline Ikin has been a strong advocate of the need for a greater investigation into energy supplies for the north-west, and again made that clear when I met with her recently.


“The Coalition is a strong supporter of the energy and resources sector.


“If we want a growing economy and boosted productivity, it’s essential that we put the expansion of the energy and resources sector on the right footing.


“For too long, the Labor Government has acted as a barrier to investment.


“As the Coalition’s Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, I meet regularly with businesses, workers and residents in the communities that depend upon the resources sector, and those who are most impacted by energy prices and energy security.


“What comes through loud and clear is that people and investors are crying out for a Government that plans for the future.


“We need long-term planning to address questions surrounding future energy supply and security, not ad hoc quick fixes and policies ‘on the run’ which we’ve witnessed all too frequently under the Rudd/Gillard Government.


“The Coalition has a plan for the energy and resources sector that includes encouraging new investment, new jobs and easing cost pressures.


“If elected on September 7, a Coalition Government will scrap the Carbon Tax, scrap the mining tax and set up a one-stop-shop for environmental approvals to cut red tape and get new projects up and running in a reasonable time,” Mr Macfarlane said.


Mrs Ikin said the Coalition’s strong plan to realise and develop the vast economic potential of Northern Australia motivated her to contest the seat of Kennedy.


“I have hosted almost a dozen senior Coalition Shadow Ministers through the North-West since being preselected by the LNP three months ago and these meetings have focussed strongly on the vital role the North will play in providing both food and energy security over the coming decades,” Mrs Ikin said.


“The Coalition’s strong plan to increase exports across Northern Australia from $96 billion to $150 billion will increase jobs, opportunities and drive economic growth in a crucial region which for too long has been ignored by the Labor Government.


“I am committed to establishing an ongoing dialogue between Canberra and the agriculture and mining industries in Northern Australia to ensure we pursue practical and positive approaches to developing the North,” Mrs Ikin said.