One Nation MP Malcolm Roberts says rekindling northwest Queensland's economic prospects begins with the voices of ordinary people but may involve reviving the vision of one of Australia's great innovators.
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Senator Roberts is set to tour parts of the region including Townsville, Mt Isa, Hughenden, Richmond, Charters Towers and Cloncurry to assess irrigation projects, future dam sites and connectivity between critical infrastructure.
His aim is to look at the capacity of the region and how it can be enhanced, with water and energy a focus.
Senator Roberts says the genuine development of northern Queensland holds great promise for local communities and can bring enormous wealth and opportunity following the impact of COVID-19.
"To make north Queensland hum we need to ensure all the critical infrastructure works seamlessly together - the roads, railways, ports, affordable energy, well placed transmission lines and reliable water," he told AAP.
"There is the potential to add between $10-20 billion worth of new agriculture to Queensland's economy through increased production of food and the value-adding that becomes affordable through hydro.
"We need competitive manufacturing back in the north. We need productive capacity and forms of cheap energy, and access to water reliable water."
Cheap energy access for the region is at the forefront of Senator Roberts' concerns and he says addressing the issue starts with listening to locals, while learning from past mistakes across Australia.
"It's very important to listen to the people on the ground, because that's what was missing in the Murray Darling Basin Plan, the actual input from the people who use the water, the communities," he said.
"That's why we've got to get an overview, through the aerial flyover of the whole region. We've got to go back on the ground and listen and we're going to get the data."
Senator Roberts will also fly through the Bradfield water catchment, which takes in the Tully, Herbert and Berdekin rivers, with a view to reviving a modified Bradfield Scheme.
The original proposal, put forward in 1938 by engineer Dr John Bradfield of Sydney Harbour Bridge fame, was designed to drought-proof much of western Queensland and expanses of South Australia.
"We think we need to find out whether that's the best use of water because we suspect that the black soil area from basically west of Townsville to Mt Isa, north to Normanton, that is going to be even more productive per acre than the Murray Darling Basin."
Australian Associated Press
