PRESS CONFERENCE - MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, ROCKHAMPTON

MICHELLE LANDRY MP

Today we’ve had a group of concerned farmers and business owners from Marlborough, we’ve had a couple of the mayors here, AgForce and also the National Farmers’ Federation, to meet Marise Payne who is the Minister for Defence. Obviously we’ve had a lot of concerns from people about the land acquisitions up around Shoalwater Bay. So we thought it would be a good idea to get the Minister to listen to the concerns of the community about the proposals up at Shoalwater Bay, but also about the expansion of Defence in this area. So I’d just like to welcome Marise Payne to speak now, thank you.

MINISTER

Thank you very much, Michelle, and it’s always a pleasure to be in Rockhampton with Michelle. I think I was just here in November, so not too long ago. Let me begin by saying that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership under which this military arrangement sits is a 25 year relationship planned with Singapore – the military aspects of that, 25 years. It’s a very, very significant agreement and a very, very significant undertaking, and a reflection of the strength and importance of the Australia-Singapore relationship.

That said, though, I don’t for a moment underestimate or understate the level of concern and the anxiety that it’s caused in the community, in discussions around land and property and the issues that come as part of an arrangement like this.

So it was a great opportunity for me and one which I value very much, to have some very serious discussions and to hear the feedback of some of the leading representatives of the grazing community, farming community and the small business community in relevant parts around the Shoalwater Bay Training Area here this afternoon. We took the opportunity to ensure that everybody in the room had a chance to have their say and to convey their concerns and their points of view.

Out of that process there are three things which I’d like the place on the record. The first is that it is my strong view, and I have directed Defence to ensure that this is the case, that agricultural land should be used for agriculture purposes. I understand the concerns that have been raised with me and I hope that has gone some way to addressing their views around the attitude of the government. That is the direction that I have provided to Defence – agricultural land should be used for agricultural purposes.

To that end, any land that is to be acquired should be done so in a timely manner, and I know that there have been concerns raised around the master planning process. It is intended to be and will be a very comprehensive process, but I had thought we would not receive the return on that until the second half of the year. What I’ve directed Defence to ensure is that the outcomes of that process are available within four weeks. So, a very clear timeframe that will give graziers, give farmers in the community, a scale if you like, with which to work in terms of when that information will come back to them. This master planning is comprehensive. It involves a consideration of the requirements for military training and that is obviously the purpose of this expansion in relation to military training, both for Australia and for our Singaporean counterparts. It will be a comprehensive process but we can, with further resources, return that within four weeks, and that is what we will do.

My understanding of the response in the meeting today is that it was very positively received and the community were grateful for that timeline.

Finally, the third point that I’d like to make is that that process should include minimal acquisition of agricultural land. Now there is a lot of work to be done in the next four weeks, but that is the starting point that I have instructed Defence to observe – that the master planning process should include minimal acquisition of agricultural land. We’ll see, at the conclusion of that process, those outcomes and obviously they’ll be communicated here locally, and I will look forward to speaking with Michelle, speaking with my counterparts, and speaking again with the local members of the community and I am very happy to answer any questions.

JOURNALIST

So it is inevitable that some people will lose their land?

MINISTER

I don’t think that you can say that. I think this is a master planning process and it’s looking at what we need for 21^st century training, both for ourselves and for the Singaporean activity. If I am right, I think you were at a previous press conference where we finished a session with 120 or so business owners who have a very strong interest in the $2.25 billion investment that will be seen out of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the military engagement. So that is part of the consideration that definitely goes into this as well. But I don’t think anything is inevitable. What we want to make sure is  that we do the most comprehensive planning process and that we provide answers, as I said, as soon as we can [indistinct].

JOURNALIST

Doesn’t this engagement come a little bit late, given these people received their letters before Christmas and they’ve been quite unsure about their future from then onwards?

MINISTER

I think it was important for us not to sneak around in the background and start master planning or doing studies without communicating with landowners and the community. There will be different points of view on that, but I think it was important to send that correspondence and make our case.

JOURNALIST

But shouldn’t the consultation have come before that correspondence?

MINISTER

Well I am not sure how you do that if you don’t tell the people who are involved?

JOURNALIST

Can you confirm that there will be compulsory acquisitions?

MINISTER

I said to your colleague that nothing is inevitable in this instance. We’ll still be doing the master planning and we’ll know an outcome of that in around four weeks and then we can have another conversation.

JOURNALIST

If someone’s property is chosen, will they have any grounds to fight that?

MINISTER

This is a legislative environment, around how the Commonwealth acquires property and so on. There are several steps in the process. Our last resort is compulsory acquisition. Our first resort is negotiating with local members of the community who may wish to engage with us and then there’s steps after that. The last resort is compulsory acquisition, but what I have said, importantly today, is that I have directed Defence, I have instructed Defence that the minimal amount of land should be acquired, that is agricultural and prime agricultural land in this area and that is the premise from which they will begin.

JOURNALIST

What about the Marlborough businesses?

MINISTER

So I’ve met today with representatives of Marlborough businesses. I think it’s very important that those organisations and businesses in the community participate strongly in the KPMG socio-economic study, which is looking at that aspect of the process. I will ensure that is the case and I have riding instructions from local representatives to make sure of that.

JOURNALIST

The local representatives have been somewhat left in the dark to some extent. What would your response to that be?

MINISTER

I am not sure what you mean?

JOURNALIST

The local representatives were pursued by the media after the announcement and the letters were sent out and they didn’t really have much to say.

SENATOR CANAVAN

I am happy to answer that, as a local representative. I think we’ve necessarily had to go through a process where we’ve had to communicate the intentions of the Government. We’ve done so openly and transparently. I recognise that there has been anxiety created by that. The only other option to doing that would have been to announce something without any consultation and without any information provided to people and I think we’re going to have a much better outcome here by taking into account the views and issues that have been put forward, both at Marlborough a couple of weeks ago, here today and in 170-odd meetings that Defence have had with landowners both here and in North Queensland.

If I can just take the opportunity to pay credit to Marise Payne, the Defence Minister. She’s been up here regularly. I think this is her third visit, perhaps in six months. She’s a strong champion of the benefits of this agreement to Central Queensland and North Queensland more generally. She is someone who has fearlessly championed the causes of local businesses, to benefit from the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and by fast tracking this master planning process now she will fast track the benefits that will flow to our region.

This is a major investment to our region and we should not forget that and if I can also say, while the Labor Party have been cynically and shamefully taking advantage of this process, they have no plan for our region. They are doing this because - they are taking advantage of this because they are trying to distract from the fact that they have no plans for Central Queensland. They are dragging their heals on Quilpie, they’ve said no to a boutique gaming license on Great Keppel Island and now they’re opposed a billion dollar investment in Central Queensland as well.

The question has to be put back to them – what exactly are their plans to create jobs and help our economy get back on track?

JOURNALIST

For the Minister, if the land is acquired, will it be sold for market value or above market value?

MINISTER

So they are negotiations which usually happen, but certainly it’s appropriate for a level of compensation not less than market value at all.

JOURNALIST

In four weeks will most of the landholders have a final answer?

MINISTER

That is the whole point of shortening the master planning process, yes.

JOURNALIST

Will you be going up to Marlborough?

MINISTER

I don’t have current plans to go to Marlborough. Next week I am in Canberra for a Cabinet meeting. The week after that, Parliament sits. But I have been issued an invitation by some of the locals today and I look forward to taking that up.

JOURNALIST

Have you approached any other landholders up north [indistinct]?

MINISTER

So the processes are happening both here and in relation to the Townsville Field Training Area. I can talk about that at a later date but preferably in Townsville and we can talk about that but yes, it is a parallel activity.

JOURNALIST

Have you spoken with anyone up there yet?

MINISTER

As I have here, I’ve met with business and the local community there. I know my colleague, Senator Ian Macdonald, is meeting with local landholders in the Charters Towers area today and I feel sure there is a meeting coming on my schedule fairly soon.

JOURNALIST

[indistinct]

MINISTER

Gladys Berejiklian is an extraordinarily capable woman and an extraordinarily capable politician. I congratulate her on her endorsement today, unanimously by her party room and I look forward to her working with the Commonwealth in the most constructive ways. She has a brain the size of a planet. She’s extremely well versed in the ins-and-outs of the political process in New South Wales. I think she’ll be a fine Premier.

JOURNALIST

You talked about agricultural land. There’s also one business in there that is the sea food industry and they can’t relocate, they can’t get licenses anywhere else. What is your advice to the Defence Department in relation to trying to avoid having to acquire that particular area?

MINISTER

So there was a representative of Queensland Seafood with us today and I think he’s also a manager of a local property. He was able to have his input and his concerns will certainly be part of the socio-economic study and the property that he’s raised issues about will be looked at in the master planning process.

JOURNALIST

The landholders you met with today – what was their response when you discussed this with them?

MINISTER

I think it was a very constructive meeting. I was pleased that there was a lot of input. I said I didn’t come to make speeches, I said I came to listen and that is what I did. To have the landholders, businesses, peak organisation representatives and local government representatives with my parliamentary colleagues, I think was a pretty good combination of representatives across the spectrum and was very [indistinct] for me.

JOURNALIST

Were any disappointed that land acquisition is still being kept on the table?

MINISTER

I am sure some people are. This is a very difficult process, it’s a very complex process. It’s a very significant undertaking to plan across a 25 year agreement and it’s a very significant undertaking to plan across the size of the investment that we’re looking at. There will be people who won’t always be happy in that context and I respect that and very much heard their views today.

JOURNALIST

Why continue with the plan?

MINISTER

Training the Australian military for the twenty-first century and for the new acquisitions which we are bringing online and engaging with our Singaporean partners is important, both in military-terms and in relationship-terms. I think the economic contribution which will be made to this part of Queensland is one which otherwise would not occur and I know from my colleagues that jobs and some certainty around investment are very important in this area and I will ensure that we – Defence – make sure we are engaging with local businesses as much as possible. For all of those factors, it’s important.

Thanks very much everyone.