Queensland’s early pioneers headed into our regions in search of wealth and prosperity. As pastoralists and farmers, they took on the challenges of the seasons and soon founded the communities that are dotted across our rural landscape. Similarly, when mineral wealth was discovered at Mount Isa, it also developed off the back of the industry’s workforce which lived and worked in the town. I have no doubt that, if the resources had been discovered at Mount Isa today; it would be mined by a fly-in, fly-out workforce.
The wealth generated by the pastoralists, farmers and early mining towns helped build our capital cities, hospitals, schools and roads. But the recent growth in the mining industry, along with the advent of the fly-in, fly-out workforce, is seeing most of this new mining wealth leaving our communities. One way to address this issue could be through taxation reform. During the 1940s, the Government of the day established a system of zone tax rebates designed to encourage people to continue to live and work in rural areas. Over time, these rebates have largely lost their value and no longer offer an incentive to attract people to the areas currently covered by the scheme.
With tax reform now on the agenda, it is worth considering the establishment of enterprise or special zones as a means of promoting the long-term sustainability of rural communities.
Existing businesses and their employees, or those which relocate or expand into the zones, would be rewarded with government incentives. Not only would these zones stimulate population growth across the region and decentralise our population, but they would also improve the liveability of our communities.
Government needs to reduce the expansion of fly-in fly-out mining operations and, instead, focus on encouraging growth in the region where the wealth is created. If Government does not act soon, we could see a number of rural communities decline, despite the immense wealth of the region.
Our nation’s great wealth is still located in the rural, regional and remote parts of Australia. Today’s farmers, miners, small businesses and their employees should be rewarded for continuing to build these communities as the early pioneers did so long ago.
The Hon. Bruce Scott MP
Federal Member for Maranoa
