Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has offered a robust defence of her government when it comes to looking after North West Queensland.
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Speaking on her visit to Mount Isa on Wednesday where she announced an implementation agreement with CopperString, the Premier pointed out their commitment to making sure the NT gas pipeline to the east coast came via Mount Isa and not South Australia and also their work in the North West floods in 2019.
"We saw during the North West floods, the railway line was considerably damaged and we were able to fix up that railway in 11 weeks, that railway is the lifeline between here and the port, It was vital we did and we did it in record time, hundreds of people were involved in that project," the Premier said.
"My government also led hand-in-hand with the federal government to look at our cattle producers to do everything we could to help them through that time."
Ms Palaszczuk said they had invested nearly half a billion dollars in freight concessions and upgrades in the railway line.
"We will continue to invest here in the north west, there is investment in schools, we put $2m into the hospital, our Works for Queensland programs are going out to the mayors across this region."
The treasurer's office told the North West Star the government was spending $506 million on Outback Queensland in 2020/21 working out as $6000 a head which it said compared well to the $3180 a head figure for those living in the south east.
When asked would she support the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Council's election campaign the Premier said she would send Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe to the NWQ ROC meeting on Friday in Cloncurry.
"He will be putting our government's very clear case about our commitments to the ROC and the North West," she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said she made Mount Isa one of her first stops because of its importance to the Queensland economy, having spent $15m to ensure the rebricking of the smelter to keep it open for another three to four years,
"We are backing Glencore because it means secure jobs for people living in this region," she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said she took an underground tour of Mount Isa Mines 20 years ago.
I will never forget it., It really opened my eyes about the tough work miners in Queensland do," she said.
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