Mixed bag for North Queensland in Federal Budget: Katter

October 27, 2022

KENNEDY MP Bob Katter has welcomed significant announcements listed in the Federal Budget for North Queensland including $225m for exploration grants in the resource-rich “North West Minerals Province” near Mount Isa, significant investments in protecting Australia against foot and mouth disease, grants for invasive weeds and feral pigs, and funding to improve telecommunications in the electorate’s many black spots.


Despite this, Mr Katter warned that cost pressures will be placed upon Australia’s largest employer group, small business owners, who will now be forced to foot the bill of the expanded paid parental leave.


Resources

The Federal Government has announced $225m for exploration grants in the North West Minerals Province and $99.8m over three years from 2022–23 for the Strategic Critical Minerals Development Program to support Australian critical minerals producers overcome technical and market access barriers.

“North Queensland is the hub of new-age minerals, the minerals we require to produce batteries for electric motor cars – nickel, cadmium, copper.

“We asked the Prime Minister on Tuesday if he was aware of the North West’s potential, and we were very pleased with his answer recognising the availability of minerals and their sovereign requirement.

“And the PM’s has been as good as his word with serious money in the budget. It seems a government at long last has seen what we clearly see in the North West.”

Mr Katter also welcomed $22m to develop Townsville’s Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, which will host advanced manufacturing and technology industries that will underpin future jobs in North Queensland.

“We’ve had conversations with the French company supplying the nickel and cobalt and they are taking this project of new-age minerals very seriously.”


Agriculture

Mr Katter welcomed the Government’s announcement to right off $14.7m in debt for 5300 farmers through the Farm Household Allowance scheme.

“This wonderful scheme was secured by Mareeba’s rural allowance action council and if your farm did not make its repayments, the government topped you up. On the evidence we have, one in five Australian farmers survived only because of this wonderful scheme.

Mr Katter also praised significant investment into biosecurity which included $14m to improve defence against lumpy skin disease, $14m to improve defence against foot and mouth disease, as well as a $10m package for Indonesia to prevent the latter disease entering Australia.

There was also $30m announced for the removal invasive species, which in North Queensland include feral pigs and prickly acacia and there was a further $13m announced for innovative measures to remove invasive weeds.

“With the notorious prickly acacia and the pig devastation we have got to ensure that it gets priority in that $30m. It would appear that the pyrolysis type conversion of pricky acacia in Townsville surrounds can be seriously addressed with money from this $13m pool.”


Water

Mr Katter said there was still hope for the Hughenden Irrigation Scheme after the government announced deferring funding of $899.5 million of water projects including HIPCo to be reconsidered once business cases were completed. The Government will retain $1.0 billion over eight years from 2026–27 in the National Water Grid Fund to support future projects.

“They want a business case, well the business case is already there. But this is a project, that unless we’re going to accept the depopulation in 95 per cent of Australia, they have to look at Hughenden.

“The survival of this nation seriously depends on the occupation of the landmass of Australia. I think there has been a disconnect between the departments and ministers here.”

Mr Katter said he wasn’t surprised to see $5.4bn for Hells Gate had been scrapped.

“I can understand the decision because the proposal before the Federal Government, no sane person could have proceeded with that proposal and it didn't produce anything for North Queensland, it destroyed the five great benefits that flowed from the proper Hells Gate proposal.”

 

Jobs and skills

Mr Katter welcomed the Government’s move to increase the migration cap from 165,000 to 190,000 to address the workforce shortage, but said he was concerned about the focus of that migration cap being on Afghanistan.

“It is very worrying because they have a continuous history of violence, they have no history of democracy, rule of law or award wages.

“You must give priority to nations with similar values.”

Mr Katter also welcomed the announcement allowing pensioners returning to work to earn $11,800, up from $7,800 without having their payments affected.

“That’s excellent news and whilst it’s a trial we have got to make sure it becomes permanent; they are a highly skilled workforce. To put an irreplaceable workforce on the scrapheap is beyond my understanding.”

Telecommunications:  

With multiple mobile blackspots throughout the Kennedy electorate, Mr Katter said it was always welcomed news to see continuous funding for improved telecommunications.

The Government is investing $111m to improve mobile coverage part of Mobile Black Spot Program to implement commitments for new mobile infrastructure to improve mobile coverage and reception quality across Australia as well as $30m for the On Farm Connectivity Program to support farmers and agricultural businesses to purchase and install on farm connectivity equipment.

“Mareeba, Cairns, Fishery Falls and Mission Beach are red hot with black spots. We need the local communities and council to pick up the initiative and aggressively make sure we get this funding to improve coverage.”


Fuel

Mr Katter welcomed the announcement for $5.1m over three years from 2022–23 to support the development of sovereign capacity in renewable fuel manufacturing, particularly for the Australian Defence Force.

Mr Katter has long been an advocate for sovereign fuel manufacturing and with fellow crossbenchers is preparing to introduce legislation to increase the manufacturing and use of Australian-made fuel.

“We’ve got our foot in the door here, we want all fuel to be used in Australia, to be manufactured in Australia. This is a small start, but it is a start. No doubt in my mind this came from our crossbench initiative.

“We feel on the crossbenchers confident we’ve got the foot in the door, with our four-pronged legislation.”


Rural and regional Health

The Federal Government announced $50,000 one-off grants for regional medical practices to help them improve patient access, for capital works, training, or purchase new equipment.

The Government also announced $2.5 billion over four years to improve the quality of care in residential aged care facilities by requiring all facilities to have a registered nurse onsite 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

“We thank all the people who have made representations to us, Dieticians Australia, the NQ Nurses Union, the Primary Health Network, and I would single out Dr Lisa Fraser, Dr Rod Catton, Dr Grant Manypeney for their continuous efforts in advocating for regional health. We’ve welcomed the previous increase in wages and the HECS announcement, but we still have no doctors in many of our towns.”

Mr Katter said the reduction of the PBS co-payment from $42.50 to $30 “was not as good as it appears” because it made the threshold for free medication harder to earn, but it was a step in the right direction towards affordable health.

Roads

The Federal Government’s announcement of $210m for the upgrade of Kuranda Range Rd was labelled as “absolutely appalling” by Mr Katter.

“The only thing you can start doing there is tearing down the jungle and rainforest. That money has got to be spent on developing the tunnel, the Bridle Track, through the range. I tenaciously oppose this.”

However he welcomed $2.1bn for projects in Queensland, including $866.4m for the Bruce Highway and $400m for the Inland Freight Route (Mungindi to Charters Towers) upgrades.


Cyclone reinsurance pool  

The previously legislated cyclone reinsurance pool has received $15m for oversighting by the ACCC to ensure premiums are fair.

“This is vital. We’re paying 400 per cent more for insuring our house. We got the breakthrough for reinsurance from the last government and now Alliance has led the charge on our behalf, they said it does not achieve parity, so if they’re right, there’s $15m now to see if they’re right.

“And, I haven’t noticed a decrease in premiums like there should have been.”


Childcare

Mr Katter welcomed the Government’s $4.7bn to make early childhood education and care more affordable for Australian families. From July 2023, Child Care Subsidy rates will increase up to 90 per cent for eligible families earning less than $530,000. Families will continue to receive existing higher subsidy rates of up to 95 per cent for any additional children in care aged 5 and under.

“We are simply persecuting people who have families, people cannot afford to have children and we are a vanishing race.

“I’ve had staff who’ve spent up to 70 per cent of their salary on childcare. We need to support Australian families, or in 20 years’ time, death will exceed births.

Mr Katter was critical however, of the expansion to the paid parental leave program, arguing that it would bring with it, cost pressures to the mum and dad business owners throughout the region who will have to foot the bill.


ENDS

Katter demands increased defence spending in the north: “We’re unlikely to be fighting penguins in Antarctica… the threat is in the north”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 24, 2025
As recently as late last week, Mr Katter held discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister, making representations for the new amphibious army fleet to be ported at Cairns and for final funding to be provided for the ship lift so that maintenance can be undertaken on Australia's naval vessels. "Unless we are going to be battling the penguins of Antarctica, maybe we should cast our eyes north to where the threat is more likely," Mr Katter said. "To go to war now is not only inconceivable but a catastrophic failure of defence planning that echoes the same fatal mistakes made in World War II. "In the Second World War, our three armies were sitting in the Libyan Desert while the Japanese prepared to invade. Whether it was dereliction of duty or outright stupidity, it was the most damning judgement on a government in this country's history," Mr Katter said. "They knew we were about to be invaded, and they sent two forward scout groups to meet the threat — 3,000 young men and the 49th Battalion. Half of them had never fired a rifle in their life. Our Air Force was so under-equipped it was a joke; the Wirraway had machine guns on the wings and no chance of taking on Japanese Zeros." Mr Katter compared the current state of Australia's Defence Force to those dark days, saying the government's claims of readiness are farcical in the face of the growing international military capability.

Katter furious: No justice for graziers devastated by 2011 ban

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 18, 2025
Katter accused the Court of "turning their backs on those who bore the brunt of a government blunder" by underestimating the impact of the ban on long-term export numbers and industry viability. Mr Katter said the Court's minimisation of the industry's losses is an insult to the thousands of families who suffered financial and emotional devastation and warned the ongoing delays in compensation will only compound the damage. "At nearly 300 million people, Indonesia is one of the biggest countries on earth. There's a massive market for our beef. They need beef but they can't afford it if it's processed in Australia. We can grow it to one year old very inexpensively," Katter explained. "If they grow the beast out and then process it there, it becomes very competitively priced." Katter warned that Australia's cattle and sheep herds are plummeting, with live exports being one of the few remaining options for sustaining the northern economy. "We need to quadruple our beef herd in Australia. And just the opposite is happening, it's the most extraordinary phenomenon. The cattle numbers have gone from 32 million in the late '70s down to 24 million and that's where they've stayed," he said. Katter took aim at the ALP's economic legacy, particularly its handling of Australia's once-thriving wool industry. "The Labor Party has earned their place in the history books. The biggest export earner for Australia for 200 years was wool. In 1990, it was Australia's largest export item at $6 billion per year. But Keating's obsession with free market economics completely demolished the wool industry. And what was left was destroyed by Labour's ban on live exports. "So congratulations Mr ALP, you destroyed the biggest wealth earner for this nation." Mr Katter said the Court must now ensure justice is delivered when it determines how much compensation is due to those who suffered under the 2011 ban. ENDS

Katter to Woolies: “Not Sundays, not in Gordonvale”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 13, 2025
"I plead with every Australian to understand this. I know it's easy to go to the bigger store, and when you think "food", you think "Woolworths and Coles". But it's because you've been brainwashed; you see it on your TV over and over again: morning, noon and night. "But, it's not just one more trading day. It's the beginning of the end for the independent shops that hold our communities together," Katter pleaded. "We will tenaciously oppose and take down the names of anyone that pushes 7-day trade at Gordonvale Woolworths. "Look, I understand. I'm a person who can hardly ever get to the shops 9 to 5 during the week. I come from the Mount Isa and Cloncurry area; I've been a miner working continuous shifts, and I'd deeply appreciate a service like that. "But do I want to live in a society with only one person I can sell food to and buy food from? Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's what we're living in right now." Mr Katter said the duopoly of Coles and Woolworths is rapidly turning Australia into a corporate monopoly state, with suburbs like Gordonvale the latest target. "Let's be clear: this is not about community choice or convenience. It's about wiping out the last little guys still standing. The butcher, the bakery, the fruit stall on the side of the road – all gone, so we can hand more power to the supermarket duopoly. "These supermarket giants can do whatever they like; they can force their staff to work incredible hours, not to mention they own the major political parties. "But they may not have noticed, but the major parties can't even get 33 percent of the vote; people just won't vote for them anymore. "I will personally fight tooth and nail, snake and goanna. It won't be the Marquess of Queensberry Rules here, and if I fail, well, I'll go down fighting. At least I can know that. "Please, we are Australians, and this is un-Australian. This has got to be fought with fire." ENDS

Katter slams ACT's Reconciliation Day: "They're dying at 49 while Canberra takes a day off"

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 11, 2025
At a press conference in Townsville, Mr Katter announced his discovery of declining life expectancy figures in remote First Australian communities such as Doomadgee in North West Queensland . "I have encountered sickening hypocrisy in my life, and I have kept these figures to myself because I don't want my country to be likened to South Africa, but I can't stay silent any longer. "I am divulging now with great rage that the life expectancy for real fair dinkum blackfellas living on their community has slipped from 54 down to 49 [ 1 ] . For the rest of us, it's about 82. "Every person in Australia should be sickened by this. Sick and tired and fed up. "There's not one single person in Canberra doing anything about it, and they have the absolute hypocrisy of giving themselves a holiday to commemorate our First Australians. "The only place where they voted Yes was Canberra and the place responsible for this sickeningly low life expectancy is Canberra."

Katters declare emergency for Isa and Townsville

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
Crisis talks, led by Katter's Australian Party Leader Robbie Katter, Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae, with key stakeholders, recognise that the future of the entire region is at risk if Mount Isa is lost as the administrative hub of the North West Critical Minerals Province. "We need to implement 'use it or lose it' policy – meaning Glencore must be forced to sell if they won't operate," Mr Katter explained. "The smelter must stay open and we need to make CopperString happen now. All of these things are linked; they all play a significant role in ensuring Queensland's economic stability and Australia's national sovereignty." Mr Katter said the nation's future was at risk if governments continued to cave to foreign-owned corporations. "There is $680 billion worth of copper in the North West Minerals Province – just sitting there. To put that in context, the 2024-25 projected federal revenue is $711.5 billion. "And the audacity of Glencore to ask for $2 billion – this is not a handout to a foreign corporation – it absolutely cannot be. If Glencore wants government money, then at the very least, there must be a ceding of 50% control – or they get nothing. "Let them close the mine if they want – then the government must, by law, impose rehabilitation and remediation. I've got mates who close mines and get hit with huge bills. But when it comes to big foreign corporations, it seems in Queensland, there's one set of rules for us and another for them. "We will assert our sovereignty, and I'll tell you now – we'll be taking names of those who don't back us on this. Because if you're not fighting for Australia's ownership of its resources, you're not Australian. "We've got to start having some tough conversations in Brisbane and Canberra, and that's really got to happen in the next four to six weeks, or we're going to be in deep trouble. "I want to congratulate Mayor Peta MacRae, the Mount Isa City Council, and Robbie Katter – they're doing everything they can. But we need the rest of the country to wake up." Bob and Robbie Katter are hosting a public 'Future of Mount Isa' meeting on Friday, June 6, at 6.30pm at the Barkly Hotel in Mount Isa. For more information or to register, please call 07 4743 3534 or email Bob.Katter@aph.gov.au. ENDS

“Australians must own the Port of Darwin” - Katter

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
"The Port of Darwin must be owned by the Australian people," Mr Katter said. "With an emerging diplomatic rough between China and the US over ownership, it is most extraordinary that the Australian Government appears unwilling, or unable, to see the value and strategic importance of such critical infrastructure. "Why are we not fighting tooth and nail to ensure our most strategic port is not controlled by a foreign corporation? Even if it is our friends, the Americans. "This megalomaniac obsession with globalism and free-marketism has crippled our nation. Until recently, key assets like the Darwin Port were owned by the Australian Government – as they were for all of our history. 

Katter calls on young riders to saddle up

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 23, 2025
"Since the dawn of time, man has been riding horses, and he will continue to do so until the end of time," Mr Katter said. "Our history, not just in Australia but across the world, has been shaped on horseback. You can't understand world history without understanding the role that horses played on the Silk Road – from China to Europe, those horses were the beating heart of civilisation. "Working with horses gives you courage, discipline, and pride – all the things our country desperately needs more of," he said. "Horse riding is the most enjoyable pastime – and it keeps you fit and grounded in the real world, not glued to a screen. "I've never been real keen on trekking. I've done about six or seven hundred kilometres in the army and another eight or nine hundred kilometres along the road to St Francis station in my prospecting days. I've been extremely keen on horses ever since." Kisten Bodkin, President of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said pony clubs are for anyone, even those like Mr Katter whose riding careers have been less than glorious. "Horse riding builds more than just riding skills. We've always said that 'pony club is fun', and that's kind of our motto. Even when you're having a rough time, pony club is fun, and it's truly for everyone. "Working with horses teaches personal responsibility and discipline, and gives a goal for young people to aim for, and we love seeing them excel at their passion. "Even though it's an individual sport, you learn how to socialise with people of all ages and you make lifelong friends. "We've seen ourselves and our children grow up, and while school friendships often drift apart, the pony club friendships just seem to stand the test of time." Zoe Macor, Secretary of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said the club has become a multi-generational legacy in her family. "My kids have grown up in the club and are now instructors here, and my grandchildren are coming up the ranks as well. "It's wonderful seeing our children travel to state and national events. The kids see their instructors riding and competing, and have something to strive for. "With three generations of our family involved in the club, well there's nothing quite like it." Mr Katter encouraged locals to saddle up for a night of entertainment at the Gordonvale Round of the 2025 Great Northern Bullriding Series this Saturday, May 24th, from 7pm. The event will raise funds for grounds and facilities upgrades, ensuring up-and-coming riders have a place to grow their skills for years to come. ENDS

Katter declares KAP the only true Opposition as LNP fractures

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 20, 2025
"Yesterday we had one party, the LNP, with no direction. Today we have two parties with no direction," stated Mr Katter. "Australia is in desperate need of an Opposition that can hold the ALP Government to account. Instead what we are receiving is an Opposition in complete disarray." "True to form, neither the Liberals or the Nationals can agree to a position on net zero, nuclear, coal or renewables. Instead they are both blindly going down the path of higher energy prices and severe energy shortages. They have no alternative, no criticism, no set direction." "The Liberals and Nationals have destroyed almost every rural industry that has supported them. They deregulated or opened to the "free" market; sugar, tobacco, maize, peanuts, flowers, grapes, avocados, citrus and many other primary industries." "The newly elected Liberals leader, Sussan Ley, led the charge to ban live-sheep export – overnight destroying the livelihoods of many hard working rural families. Littleproud has got very little to be proud of for not even fighting this in the slightest but rather standing behind wiping the tears from his eyes." "Don't be fooled – cattle will be next. They are no friend to the farmer." "For many years the policy lines between the ALP, LNP, Liberals and Nationals have been blurred, marred by political infighting rather than genuine and meaty debates on the direction that our once great nation is taking." "One thing is true now more than ever, Katter's Australian Party is the true Opposition." ENDS

Katter: Labor’s super tax to rip the guts out of middle Australia

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 16, 2025
Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has unleashed a blistering attack on the Chalmers short-sighted tax grab on superannuation that will "rip the guts out of middle Australia" and fundamentally change our attitude to placing our savings in super to fund our retirement. Mr Katter echoed sentiments of many in the financial and agricultural sectors that are calling the plan, to impose steep taxes on unrealised capital gains in super accounts, ludicrous. "Unrealised capital gains" are not an income or tangible money – rather, these gains are "theoretical, paper money". The asset must be sold before the gain is made. "This policy will have a catastrophic effect on anyone that has a farm, house or similar asset that is held by a super fund. If the market value increases, you will get a huge tax bill and, unless you have significant savings elsewhere, you will have to sell the asset to pay this crushing tax bill," Mr Katter explained. "Land appreciation doesn't mean you're rich in cash," he said. "It means your rates go up, your insurance goes up, and now, thanks to this lunacy, your tax goes up too. And for what? For a so-called 'equity measure' that punishes the people who actually invest in this country." Investing in capital appreciating assets is a way the government has encouraged people to set themselves up to protect their future, and now the government is moving the goalposts. "This isn't going to hurt the big corporates. This isn't going to hurt the mega-rich. This is going to break the back of middle Australia." "You keep putting weight on the camel, eventually you'll break the camel's back," Mr Katter said. "We had 276,000 farmers. Then Mr Keating started his deregulation dirty work, and the National Party carried it on. Now we have about 80,000 farmers. Well, you blokes won't stop until we have none." "This story will be repeated for family run businesses and family owned housing investments." Mr Katter is calling for the government to immediately withdraw the policy, warning that failure to do so will accelerate the decline of the nation's farming and small business backbone, and force more Australians off the land, out of business and onto the dole queue. "If the government really wanted to do something helpful for Australians, it should legislate to require a large portion of super investment in Australian manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture, mining and other economy-generating projects, not create short-sighted, tax-grabbing policies that will drive investment overseas." ENDS

Katter says "Thank you" to the fighters

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 5, 2025
Elections aren't won by blokes in suits. They're won on the backs of the people who stand out in the sun and the rain, handing out how-to-vote cards for days on end. So, this victory belongs to them. God bless every one of you. I can't thank you enough. The same goes for my wife Susie, my five children, and even my grandchildren, who have worked tirelessly throughout this campaign to make so much of it happen. I certainly couldn't have done this without them. To my staff, who give their all (and then some) daily for the people of Kennedy... Thank you.
More Posts