General News
20 December, 2024
FNQ’s ‘A team’
A TRIO of LNP MPs in the Far North have joined forces to ensure the region is not left behind by Brisbane.
Newly-elected Mulgrave MP Terry James, Barron River MP Bree James and Cook MP David Kempton have formed a collective to advocate for the region.
Mr James said the regions won the election for the LNP and Premier David Crisafulli.
He said the premier was highly aware how important the regions were and the Far North could expect to see regular visits from him as well as all ministers.
Earlier this month Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg was in the Far North looking first- hand at road issues and discussing the Kuranda Range road as well as highlighting the huge blow-out in the cost of the Cairns Marine Precinct.
Mr James, a former mayor and long-time councillor, said he would be lifting his profile in Mulgrave by door knocking and meeting sporting and community groups, as well as businesses.
He said crime was the number one issue in his electorate and across the region.
Mr James said Mulgrave was also the centre of the region’s growth and would require an uplift in infrastructure spending by both the government and the council.
In his maiden speech to parliament he said the traditional centre of the electorate was Gordonvale, “a major distinguishing feature being its local character and historical significance”.
“With urbanisation and the growth of Cairns southward, the town is undergoing significant change,” Mr James said.
“The challenge for Gordonvale’s future is to ensure that this change does not destroy the town’s fabric in such a way that it gets absorbed into the ever-growing Cairns urban sprawl.
“This is recognised by the current planning scheme, which supports the protection of this significant history by ensuring a strong sense of local identity is maintained through the retention and adaptive re-use of the buildings.
“I will work with the community and the Cairns Regional Council to find the highest and best use for those buildings and work to attract new business back to town.”
Mr James also highlighted desperately needed extra sewerage trunk infrastructure to allow for the next stages of Mount Peter, which has been designed to house 40,000 people.
“For a long time people have been talking about the need for this infrastructure and I say that now is the time for us to come together and get it delivered,” he said.
“The new LNP government announced a $2 billion infrastructure fund for projects like that. I strongly advocate making Mount Peter one of the first cabs off the rank for this funding.”
Other priorities are:
A new home for the Mulgrave Settlers Museum
Reviving the Cairns South State Development Area – a special economic zone to facilitate growth and the diversification of the Cairns economy which had stalled
The development of a biofuels industry
A regular, reliable and sustainable public transport system from Cairns city to the southern towns and communities.
Barron River MP, Bree James told state parliament in her maiden speech, that “one of the biggest reasons I wanted to have a seat in parliament is for the small business owners, especially all of those ‘parentpreneurs’ – the brave raising a business and a family at the same time”.
“I believe it has never been easier to start a small business, but it has never been harder to have one,” she said.
“Small and family-owned businesses are the biggest employers in the country.
“They are the ones that sponsor our schools and our sports teams. They are the ones that are here for the community in the tough times. They are the risk-takers who invest in hiring more staff and growing the business when times are good instead of taking a pay rise themselves.
“Being a business owner used to be a badge of honour. However, now it is a burden for many. So many of my extraordinarily resilient small business friends, many of whom have been in business for more than a decade, are thinking about selling or throwing in the towel because it is just getting too hard.
“I promise to be a strong voice for business owners, whether they are a local coffee shop, a ‘solopreneur’, a ‘parentpreneur’, a tourism operator or even a musician who is losing gigs because one person has made a noise complaint at a venue. I will fight for you.”
Ms James said she was honoured to be made an assistant minister responsible for Far North Queensland.
“All of the aspects of my assistant ministry are very close to my heart. Tourism is the lifeblood of our region and the creative industries have been in my blood since I played in those bands with my Dad a very long time ago. Together, the Far North Queensland economy would not survive without these two industries and Queensland as a whole would be a much lesser place.”
Mr Kempton spoke in parliament house in support of ‘Making Queensland Safer Laws’.
“Youth crime is by no means a recent phenomenon, however, the escalation of offences by younger people is a direct result of weakening consequences for actions and putting the ‘rights’ of offenders before victims,” he said.
“Children need clear boundaries and these laws and the processes and programs behind them will be the first step in bringing law and order back into our homes and streets.
“Many of those opposing the plan are the very same ‘experts’ who were the architects of the strategies that have got to this situation.
“I say give the ‘LNP Keeping Queensland Safer Laws’ a go because nothing else has worked.”
Mr Kempton also joined Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickleberg earlier this month when he visited to understand first-hand the many transport issues in the region.
“This wasn’t just a flying visit,” he said.
“The minister spent time with all northern members and personally inspected the range road and Barron Bridge with TMR and Roadtek,” he said.
“It rained so heavily the range was blocked by trees so we drove onto Mareeba to meet Mayor Angela Toppin and back to Cairns via Julatten inspecting Rifle Creek, Bushie Creek and the Captain Cook Highway.
“More has happened to our roads in the three weeks the LNP has been in government that the last 10 months.”
Mr Kempton has also opened a temporary electorate office in Mareeba as promised during the electorate campaign.
For more details about Mr James go to
For Ms James visit
For Mr Kempton visit
