MINISTER for Mines and Natural Resources Andrew Cripps must be exiled at the state election for the cattle industry to flourish in parts of the North West, according to Rob Katter.
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Mr Cripps is supposed to be in the safe LNP seat of Hinchinbrook, but appears in danger of being unseated by Katter’s Australia Party candidate Barry Barnes.
Bookmaker Sportingbet.com.au has been forced to slash the odds of KAP winning Hinchinbrook from $6.50 into $1.75 favouritism after a mountain of money, including several four-figure bets.
“We’ve taken one bet of $4000 and plenty of other significant wagers,” said Sportingbet’s Andrew Brown.
The strong support for KAP has resulted in the LNP’s odds of winning Hinchinbrook drifting from $1.10 to $2 at Sportingbet.
Mr Katter, the state member for Mount Isa and Katter’s Australia candidate, said the region needed to be opened up for irrigated agriculture development.
“We would welcome a new minister for mines and natural resources that will be heavily lobbied to finally release some substantial allocations of water out of the Flinders River and Gilbert River,” he said.
“This has to be done at greatly reduced cost and reduction of regulations to kick start the opportunity for even small-scale farming along these systems.”
Mr Katter’s major policy for the cattle industry would be to turn the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority into a state bank, the Queensland Industry Development Bank.
“This will make a huge change to the rural indebtedness of graziers, helping solve a 30-year rural debt problem that is growing.
“Contrary to QRAA, which operates to return a profit to the government, the proposed state bank would lend regional businesses, landowners and local industries access to much-needed finance, loaning at concessional government set rates.
“I think years of neglect and failed ideology has led us to the situation today, where many small businesses and farms can’t get access to acceptable and reliable finance,” Mr Katter said.
“If the water is offered at little to no cost and is accessible to all, at no cost to the taxpayer you can provide some drought proofing or farming opportunities for land-holders along these rivers. This will also stimulate employment in the towns.
“The towns of Hughenden, Richmond and Julia Creek could become more prosperous like Emerald and St George.’’
Mr Katter also supports the significant and wide reaching reforms to the Livestock Transport Industry, which is being crippled by an inequitable charging regime and unnecessary and costly regulations.
