TRANSCRIPT: Interview with FIONA WYLLIE, NSW STATEWIDE DRIVE, ABC MID NORTH COAST, 19 November 2018
E&OE
Subjects: Funding for dams; flood mitigation
FIONA WYLLIE:
The Federal Government has pledged another half a billion dollars for building dams. The Deputy Prime Minister has been in Queensland on a get to know the leader tour. He’s now in Port Macquarie this afternoon, but I spoke to him earlier about the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Indeed, for industry stakeholders and local governments as well, Fiona, more than half a billion dollars increase to the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund to, basically, build more dams; to basically establish more pipelines. We want to make sure that where there’s water we can store it more efficiently, to have greater capacity to do so. $500 million is going to go a long way to helping further drought-proof our nation and building regional Australia, making sure that we can create more jobs in the agriculture sector, making sure that we can make our rural communities more drought resilient, and boosting our market opportunities. That’s what it’s all about.
FIONA WYLLIE:
Do you think people have changed their minds about dams because there were periods where people were very anti-dams, there’s been lots of protests decades ago about proposed dams and we’ve really gone quiet in building dams. Do you think there’s a shift now that people aren’t as concerned about all those environmental issues that happen when you dam a river now?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Of course, I suppose you’re talking about the Franklin debate way, way back in Tasmania all those years ago. I understand that people have concerns about things. But look, essentially, if we want to get on and be our best selves as a nation we have to build dams. Water is our most valuable resource. Make no mistake about it. The time for debate is over. We need to make sure that we build dams, not only to store water for those prolonged dry spells, for those droughts - one of which of course we’re going through now - but also as flood mitigation. They are great when you increase the height and length and strength of weirs and dams that are already built, and that will be part and parcel of this as well. What you are able to do is protect communities against the ravages of flood. We've seen in all too recent years - certainly 2011 and 2012 were very wet years and even 2016 – floods threaten to ravage rural communities, and we want to make sure we protect communities against that.
FIONA WYLLIE:
With respect, the Snowy was dammed and Jindabyne was flooded back in the early 60s and there are still concerns about environmental flows and the damage that’s come as result of those dams. I know that it’s given irrigators a great opportunity closer to where your seat is, but there are a lot of concerns in the south east still.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Let's be honest, the Snowy scheme was first and foremost an irrigation scheme; that's what it was designed for. The hydroelectricity benefits of it was just a boon for that, was just a bonus. The fact is, the Riverina, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and the Colleambally Irrigation Area, relies on irrigated agriculture, and let me tell you: our exports, our balance of payments, are thankful for that. The fact is, we the Riverina area can basically feed the nation. If it had more irrigated water it would be even able to do a better job.
We can replicate that right around the nation with the CSIRO, which obviously, through its very name and nature, a scientific organisation, a research organisation is hell-bent on making sure that we have the world's best environment. It identified in a recent report just a matter of weeks ago, the fact that there are three river catchments - the Fitzroy, the Mitchell and the Darwin - that we could potentially build another six dams on across Australia's Top End. Now, if the CSIRO can identify those dams - and we have willing partners in State Governments and I don't care what political persuasion they are - if they want to work with the Federal Government, they want to work with the Commonwealth, we can build dams, we can heighten, lengthen and strengthen weirs. We can establish new pipelines. We can build on pipelines that already exist, particularly through Victoria; and we can make sure that we better drought-proof our nation for the future. That's what this is all about. It's an exciting announcement: $500 million, and I'm sure that rural and regional communities will be cheering this home today.
FIONA WYLLIE:
Okay. Some suggestions already about projects in Queensland…
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Excellent.
FIONA WYLLIE:
WA, Victoria, anything on the drawing board here in New South Wales?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
We're always willing to work with willing partners and, of course, there are a number of sites throughout New South Wales. I'll be having discussions with Niall Blair in his capacity as Primary Industries Minister there. We've had discussions in the past. But look, there are projects throughout the world. You name the area; it's got dam projects. I know that just in the Central West recently, Niall was announcing a heightening of the Wyangala Dam. That provides so much more capacity for that particular area but particularly for irrigated agriculture. You add - as we just did yesterday - $3 million to a project, the Fairbairn Dam near Emerald in Central Queensland, that adds 6500 megalitres of capacity for irrigated agriculture in that particular area. So you can do that right throughout New South Wales, whether it's in and around Tamworth, whether it's in and around the Riverina…no matter where it is you can build the capacity for storage and you can help those irrigation farmers. Certainly we want to work with like-minded State Governments to do just that.
FIONA WYLLIE:
So it will be a co-payment situation- scenario for any new projects?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well indeed and that's how we've done the project with Rookwood Weir which is not only going to be for flood mitigation but also for irrigated agriculture for the Rockhampton area. We put $176.1 million towards that. The State Government’s stumped up some money too. We certainly had the local water stakeholder also put in money. SunWater have been very good in and around Queensland to look at projects, to put up money and to offer proposals. We're willing to work with any key stakeholders whether they're private, whether they're public, State Governments, I don't care what political persuasion they are - we want to work with them. We want to better drought proof our nation.
FIONA WYLLIE:
On politics for a moment, you’ve been spending sometime in Queensland. What sort of reception are you getting? Are they getting to know who Michael McCormack is, the leader of the National Party?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Indeed and I've spent a lot of time in Queensland since becoming the leader of the Nationals and the Deputy Prime Minister and my colleagues are working hard to make sure that they focus on the things that matter to people, the things that matter to regional Queenslanders. I've been with Ken O’Dowd for the last couple of days. I was with Keith Pitt the other day making an exciting announcement for a regional deal for the Hervey Bay, Fraser Coast area. These are exciting announcements but it's also, as you say, getting out and about, meeting and greeting people. I’ve just walked through a shopping centre here in Gladstone with Ken O’Dowd and every second person knew exactly who I was. They all knew who Ken O’Dowd was; he's a hardworking member. But look, I'm getting out and about. Of course it’s going to be very important to win the hearts and minds of Queensland but also not forgetting the hearts and minds of New South Wales, Victorians indeed, right across Australia.
FIONA WYLLIE:
Are you getting to the baby kissing stage of almost a pseudo-election campaign?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
I've got to tell you Fiona, I'm not a baby kisser and I wouldn't inflict that upon any parent, indeed any baby.
FIONA WYLLIE:
What about selfies, are they growing in interest?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
I can take a selfie. Most politicians can take a selfie, but only if asked. I'm not somebody who foists myself upon someone to say hey, let's get a selfie. But indeed, if they want a selfie with me, I’m more than happy to hold the camera and take it.
FIONA WYLLIE:
We’ve been talking this afternoon on the program of how you greet people. It must be hard as a politician because some people are very warm and touchy and other people like their own space. How do you decide what to do when you meet someone?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
I'm a people person, I've always liked people. I don't think you get into politics if you don't like people. But what you want is better outcomes for people, better outcomes for communities. I'm happy to walk up to somebody and say g’day I’m Michael, how are you going? Often the local Member will introduce you as - well at the moment I'm Acting Prime Minister - but if I'm Deputy PM or Leader of the Nats or the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development or whatever the case might be, I'm happy. But I'm just plain old Michael. I’m happy to meet and greet people. And look, during an election….
FIONA WYLLIE:
…shake hands, give a bit of pat on the shoulder; what do you do?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Yes. All of that. I’m happy to pose with people for selfies. But I want them to understand that I'm an ordinary everyday Australian, just trying to do a better job, a good job for them so that they can have a better life, so that their community can enjoy more services, can enjoy the fact that we have been a good Government and the fact that we have helped small business to create more than a million jobs over five years. We want to build on that. We want to make sure that people understand that we are there, we do care and we want to work with them and for them to build a better community.
FIONA WYLLIE:
So the criticism that the Nationals have been facing about not caring about the regions, not caring about its rural constituents, what do you say to that?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
We've cared about rural constituents for 100 years and we'll go on doing it for the next 100 years. That's what we are all about. We're wholly and solely focused on making sure that rural Australians have a better life. We operate in the national interest but we operate for rural and regional and remote communities. That's why we're there. That's what our heart and soul is; we are all people who live in the local area. We don't get parachuted into electorates. Most of us, indeed all of us have either been employers or employees; many of us have run businesses or farms. We’re just ordinary everyday Australians doing an important job for other regional Australians.
FIONA WYLLIE:
That’s the Member for Riverina, the National Party’s Leader, the Deputy Prime Minister as he is again now because the Prime Minister’s back in town. That’s Michael McCormack.