Boiling the billy just before sun up on top of the Yamamilla Range, Les recalled a similar scene.  “I was here Bobby with old Dan Fisher.  Dan said ‘Ya know young Les I know every rock and blade of spinifex on these ranges and ya know young Les – I’m sick of every one of the bastards”.

I prospected over 1,000 km of the Yamamillas in a few short years.  Dan had spent a life time, and that during the depression.  But Dan in less melancholy would see as I do the great mineral wealth and excitement of our area.  I tell our KAP party people we are the ‘fun party’ – opportunity, hope, fun, excitement.

The Gulf-Territory border country is part of the Cloncurry massif, one of the four or five richest mineral provisions on earth.  The time has come to properly develop this, our North West Mineral Province.

A 100km canal from of the inlets west of Burketown across 20km of saline flood plains down past Doomadgee and we can get our phosphate, cu, ag, pb, zn, fe and uranium out for $7/tonne.   Up to date our only outlet to the sea has been rail out through Townsville at $70/tonne.  A canal makes much of the resources north from Mount Isa not only viable but also attractive. 

With sea water in the canal coming back beyond the flood plain creates arguably the most ideal environment in the world for massive prawn farming.  Seafarms at Cardwell are putting in arguably the biggest prawn farm in the world on the Territory/WA border, in an identical position to ours.  A moderate phosphate and prawn farming development will provide 3,000 jobs.  But here is the vitally important point – we must own and control the canal.  If we don’t, it’ll be s457 workers and foreign FIFOs.

Rob Katter’s banking proposals provides an ideal mechanism.  The Member for Mt Isa is acting very determined and very confident on this issue.

The Federal Government announced last week that they are going to provide $500 million for Nth Australia in lots of $50 million guarantee loans, but only on condition that others put up $50 million as well.

Excuse my cynicism but when Federal Government Minister Robb makes this announcement, he makes it standing beside “Wilmar” a foreign (Chinese) agriculture commodity giant and dominating sugar mill owner; JB Swift, a foreign (Brazilian) corporation, dominating the Australian meat processing market, where $2 a kg is paid to cattlemen and $20 a kg is paid by the consumer; and Landbridge, a foreign (Chinese) corporation that now owns the only Northern Australia Port, Darwin. (see front page of Financial Review 9 November 2015).

So I believe there is not the slightest doubt where the tax payer money is to go – Wilmar, JB Swift and Landbridge.  They get the North Australian water, not we North Australians.  They’ll get the water, they’ll get the jobs under the China Free Trade deal (“free” meaning they are free to do anything they like here in Australia) for s457 foreign FIFO workers.  

We can’t develop if they’ve got the water and they’ve got the ports.

Now as good Australians from convict Bushman stock, we’re going to bail up the stage coach and take this $5,000 million.  We’ll own the canal and we’ll decide who works on these developments.

Hon Bob Katter MP

Federal Member for Kennedy