Barnaby Joyce – Nationals Candidate

Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals candidate for the seat of New England said the issues in the Upper Hunter area are similar to those across much of the electorate.

“I’m seeing a lot of the same issues with conflict of land use issues we’ve also got roads and a lot of state issues with delivery of better quality roads and also communication issues, these things I did suspect would be issues,” said Mr Joyce.

Scone Bypass

“I’m walking carefully with that one, I’m having meetings with the Council and there is nothing worse than acting on the first opinion that’s whispered in your ear, I’ve read things from the Chamber of Commerce and we’re getting more communication into our office about it,” said Mr Joyce.

“I’m developing my views, but we need to make sure we don’t lose the money for the bypass completely,” he said.

“The Council has said we can build this in a cheaper form and create less grief and that seems like a sensible argument.

“We also need to look at how the National Highway works at certain speeds and so let’s see if there is a way we can negotiate and find some happiness for the locals and still get it built.

“Why don’t we just trial it at 80 kilometres an hour and see if we can deal with that specification, if you go through the town you’ll have to go at 40 kilometres an hour, trial for 80 kilometres for five years and then reassess.

“What I’m worried about is it could turn into an unresolved, highly emotive issue then what people will say is nothing, they’ll just let it percolate along and then the costs will increase and they’ll say we don’t have the money for it,” he said.

“We provide funds to the state for them to build it and my number one job is to make sure they maintain the funds for this project,” Barnaby Joyce said.

See related story: More Money Promised.

Land Conflict

“I don’t want it to be a binary argument that you just don’t support coal seam gas at all anywhere because the gas companies for example would go through the roof, they’d say we have 40 or 50 billion dollars worth of assets and you just ban them,” said Mr Joyce.

‘You could come up to the city and tell 60,000 people they no longer have a job, so good luck with that,” he said.

“So it’s like all of these things, there are areas where you should and areas where you shouldn’t and having a cogent argument to explain the difference between the two.

“People know I don’t support Shenhua or BHP Caroona that’s an area of prime agricultural land and I’m happy to go into bat for why that is, but there are no mines at Shenhua or BHP Caroona, there is only one mine in that area and that’s at Werris Creek.

“I think the right thing is not to have it there.

“The best way to understand my position on this is that in 2011 I wrote the  extension of terms for the enquiry into coal seam gas, which clearly spelt out our position on coal seam gas but also it spelt out don’t destroy aquifers because they are common property and once you destroy them you can’t make good.

“The tactic seems to be that wherever there is a problem, they (mining and gas companies) just tell us they didn’t create it,” Barnaby Joyce said.

Dartbrook mine

“I’ve spoken to Darley and another stud and I’ve said for me to help you you’ve got to come up with a cogent policy position of this is why, if you just say ‘I don’t support coal mining’, ok good I understand that but why, where and if you say everywhere that is an unsustainable argument,” Mr Joyce said.

“I need a cogent form of words that assists me so that I can argue their position on their behalf,” he said.

To be honest when people say this area should not have a mine, but there is just a line in the sand where on the other side they can then you have to clearly define what is special about this to give me the ammunition so that I can argue your case.

“In our area I do not support Shenhua or BHP Caroon, but that is not the view of the Gunnedah Shire Council or the Liverpool Shire Council or the Tamworth Chamber of Commerce,” he said.

“So now I’m apparently on side with three greens, off side with the Labor party and ambivalent to the Liberal party and a play thing for the rest,” Barnaby Joyce said.