Press conference with Glenn Butcher MP, Queensland Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing at Boyne Island Smelter, Gladstone

SHANE WEMBRIDGE: So firstly, I'd just like to welcome Minister Bowen, Minister Butcher and also Councillor Goodluck to the BSL. It's a really fantastic day today for the announcement regarding the support that we're going to   the financial support we're going to receive for an improvement that we're making to the carbon bakes here at BSL, which is a project where we're going to improve the efficiency of our bakes and reduce the amount of gas we consume by about 17 per cent, which is going to result in a carbon reduction of 6,400 tonnes, which is the equivalent of taking 1,500 cars off the road.

So really pleased with the support from the Federal Government, for this grant, and also the support from Rio Tinto to be able to bring this project along.

CHRIS BOWEN: Thanks very much, Shane. It's great to be back in Gladstone. To be honest, I've lost count much how many times we've been in Gladstone since we came to Government. But that's appropriate, because Gladstone is so important to Australia's energy future and industrial future.

And today, like on other occasions that I've been here, I'm announcing Federal Government co investment with business to reduce emissions, and importantly on locking the future of great facilities like this in a decarbonising world. Around the world, consumers, investors, insurers, staff are demanding that companies have a clear and real pathway to net zero.

And this is a big deal for this smelter and it's a big deal for Australia, and so I'm delighted to partner with this smelter, and with the other recipients. Of the six recipients of these grants, four are in Queensland.

We're investing $90m to reduce emissions by 1 million tonnes a year, which is about the equivalent of 240,000 cars off our roads, and these important investments, which you'll see here, as Shane said, gas use fall by 17 per cent on the bake, is important. Also co investing, for example, to reduce fugitive methane emissions at the Kestrel Coal Mine.

Now that's important because this is a technology which has not been deployed commercially in Australia. We think it has great potential and we want to see it deployed potentially, if it works, not just for this coal mine, but at coal mines across the country to reduce methane emissions.

Investments with Viva in Geelong, for example, to reduce their emissions. Investments with Incitec Pivot to reduce their emissions, so there's $90 million of investments with these companies, locking their future, to ensure that they have a viable future, that they can keep employing so many people in Queensland and the other states and help us reduce our national emissions, all part of this Government's efforts to decarbonise and to lock in industrial jobs into the future.

These are concrete plans today, investments today, not some nuclear fantasy in 30 years' time for this region with no costing, no detail, no modelling, but real investments today that create jobs today, and I ask Glenn and Kahn to add a few words, and then we'll take questions.

GLENN BUTCHER: Thanks, Chris. And it's a welcome investment today, $5.4 million going to the Rio Tinto and the Boyne Smelter. This not only means we're going to start the decarbonisation future in Gladstone at Boyne Smelter here today, but also co investment by Rio Tinto to make sure that these projects get up.

What we've seen today in the bake house certainly will go a long way to making sure that one of the biggest users of energy and the biggest emitters in Australia are starting the decarbonisation journey, and that's good that as the local member for Gladstone, with over 1,100 jobs at the Boyne Smelter, I think this is really critical these investments moving forward for the longevity of our manufacturing industry here in not only Australia but Queensland and right here in the Gladstone region.

So this is a welcome investment by the Federal Government. It just goes to show that the private companies and that Governments of all levels can get together and make sure that Queensland, particularly where I'm from, has a bright future, and that bright future is all about decarbonisation, it's all about our $62 billion energy and jobs plan here under the Queensland Government to make sure that we are bringing down electricity prices in Queensland, but also supporting our large scale industries in the Gladstone region, like the Boyne Smelter and the like the alumina refineries that are supporting this region with jobs on the ground and supporting families in Gladstone.

I'll hand over to Kahn.

KAHN GOODLUCK: Thanks, Butchie, and it's great to be here on behalf of the Gladstone Regional Council with Minister Bowen for a welcome announcement from the Federal Government for $5.4 million. Gladstone region is the powerhouse, the industrial powerhouse of our nation, and we've got a very proud industrial heritage here, and it's facilities like the Boyne Smelter and the 1,100 workers here and many hundreds more indirectly through other local businesses and local contractors that are going to rely on the smelter being able to decarbonise so that we can sustain and keep these great jobs in our region in a post 2050 world.

So we really welcome this announcement from the Federal Government and welcome the investment into our industry and the 1,100 families that rely on these jobs here in the Gladstone region. Thank you.

CHRIS BOWEN: Okay, folks, over to you.

JOURNALIST: So you touched on just before you've been in Gladstone quite a few times lately, so you've made a lot of announcements that benefit businesses in the region. But have you spoken to people in the community about what it all means for them? What are they saying?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, obviously I've just arrived today to make this announcement. But as I said, I'm in Gladstone regularly, I'm in Rockhampton this afternoon while meeting people, and people across the board, I was in Port Augusta two days ago, in Lithgow yesterday in regional Australia, people across the board say to me that they want to see investment now, creating jobs now, they can't wait till the 2030s or 2040s for some fantasy plan to come forward, they need that investment now, and that's what we're doing.

JOURNALIST: Just a follow up on that. I guess people in Gladstone who are struggling financially, but also it seems like housing, it seems like business is benefitting, but when will the community benefit? If you're expanding the businesses, creating the jobs, will there be infrastructure to support for extra people and that’ll make things like housing, health, more inexpensive to get?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, the community benefits from these jobs being supported into the future, and imagine what will happen in Gladstone without this smelter. We're not going to let that happen, of course. But just imagine the alternative universe where a government and business did not work together. Ultimately smelters that don't decarbonise have a very limited future, the world's not going to buy their goods. So we're not going to let that happen. Of course there are things to be managed, Glenn might want to add a few remarks, but there are things to be managed when it comes to housing and community support, but essential building blocks is to get businesses and industries like this locked in for the future.

GLENN BUTCHER: Well, Gladstone has been a community that has ups and downs, you know, and what this sort of investment does is make sure that we have viable future here in Gladstone, particularly with our very large scale industries.

The Queensland Government is certainly committed to a housing plan to make sure that communities like Gladstone don't have that boom and bust cycle. We've just recently announced 85 small homes for small term/medium income earners to utilise those facilities as well as 20 extra of those homes going to our social housing, which means that those people  particularly those people who are living in a house by themselves who've got three or four bedrooms can utilise this new facility that we've got now, or purchase, and put in families into the homes that they make vacant.

So the Queensland Government is certain that we are going to deliver into the Queensland community. It's not just here in Gladstone, but all over Queensland, we have a massive investment going into social housing here in Queensland, and those type of things we learn a big lesson from, when the LNG industry come to Gladstone.

We are now on a journey of energy, we're on a journey of renewables, and we want to make sure that we have a very steady growth in the Gladstone region which covers off on all things, including more police, including more nurses and doctors at the Gladstone Hospital upgrades to our hospital. Those things will continue to grow when we know we have a steady plan to decarbonise to make sure these industries are staying but new industries are coming in. Just like the hydrogen industry for this community in Gladstone.

JOURNALIST: Minister, I've just got some questions for you out of Canberra. Do you expect the PM to call an early election?

CHRIS BOWEN: No, the PM has said that he would expect to be running close to full term when our term is up in May next year. It's entirely a matter for the Prime Minister. I just work here. He'll call an election when he thinks it's in the nation's best interests, but I don't expect that to be any time soon.

JOURNALIST: And in Opposition are prepared with Dutton out of the country and more lack of detail in policy, where are their nuclear costings?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, that's a good point well made, that the Opposition has an alleged policy, I call it more a Post-it note than a policy. They've announced seven nuclear sites, one of which is not far from here, but no details, and I think the people of Queensland, people of Australia deserve better than that.

You know, if you want to be a serious alternative government, you've got to provide serious details. Seven, you know, pins on a map isn't a policy. Where's the costs? Where's the number of gigawatts? When they can't tell us how many gigawatts are coming and how many dollars per gigawatt.

I was in parts of Australia over the week where the Opposition's proposing nuclear power plants, and people ask me, "Where's the water going to come from"? Good question, well asked. It's Mr O'Brien's place to answer them and Mr Dutton's place to answer them. These are not serious people when it comes to Australia's energy future.

JOURNALIST: And as also, do you think there will be a Cabinet reshuffle over the winter break?

CHRIS BOWEN: Again, entirely a matter for the Prime Minister. I expect him to do this job for many years to come, but reshuffles are a matter for the Prime Minister.

JOURNALIST: Just also one last one. There's been a lot of pushback on renewables in this region. In fact many people we’ve spoken to welcome the nuclear announcement by the Liberal Party last month. Do you think you're reading the room, Central Queensland room for a push towards renewables? 

CHRIS BOWEN: Everywhere I go and every opinion poll will tell you the most popular form of energy is renewables, followed by gas, then daylight. I understand that we can have a national conversation and debate about nuclear. To have that, you've got to have details. What's the cost? What's the megawatts, what's the gigawatts, what's the waste plan?  What's the water plan?

Mr Dutton's provided none of that. And you can't have a mature debate if you don't have facts, and everywhere I go people have questions, and Mr Dutton can't answer them, including here. So bring on the debate. I mean by this point too; I've been to Port Augusta and to Lithgow and to this part of Queensland where nuclear plants are proposed. Mr Dutton and Mr O'Brien to the best of my knowledge haven't been to any of them.

So, you know, you've got to front up. I understand there's different views about renewables. I front up to communities, whether it's offshore wind, onshore wind, I front up and talk to people.  Mr Dutton and Mr O'Brien have failed to do so.

Anything else.

JOURNALIST: Just one question for Butch. So you hold this seat by a fair margin around 23.5 per cent. But even so are you concerned about what happened to your vision for Gladstone [indistinct] industry stronghold [indistinct] if your party's not elected to lead [indistinct].

GLENN BUTCHER: Well, that's a hypothetical question. I have all faith that we're going to win the election, and we'll win it reasonably well. We certainly have set a plan up, we've set a plan up for Queensland, and it's about renewables, and it's about decarbonising our State as well. We're committed to that.

I don't even look forward to the opportunity of being in Opposition. I make sure that I am here focused on the now, and things like we're seeing here today, investment by the Federal Government, $62 billion investment by the State Government. There is a risk though, there certainly is a risk, and the risk to this is the LNP in Queensland.

They are sitting like the Federal Government without a policy. They say they don't support nuclear, but we know that Dutton is going to drive David Crisafulli to support nuclear if he ever became the Premier of Queensland.

We have a future set up under the energy and jobs plan, and we're sticking to that. We're building wind farms; we're building wind farms and we're building the solar to go with it. We are moving forward to make sure that we can keep prices down, particularly for, as we see here today, our large scale industries in the Gladstone region.

As I said, that's a hypothetical. We're pushing forward to win the election [indistinct].

JOURNALIST: So just to your water portfolio hat, we have this meeting with the Fairburn [indistinct] does this concern you at all?

SPEAKER: Well, any community, any regional water supply [indistinct] 30 per cent is of concern. We know that it does have a very good catchment in and around the Emerald region, but they are forecasting La Nina to come back, and unfortunately the Emerald district and Fairburn catchment over the last few years, and same as Gladstone here with Awoonga Dam has been unfortunate not to get some of that rainfall, but with the proposed La Nina coming back and a big wet season, we've had a big wet winter, which is unusual, the forecast is now saying that there is potential for big rains coming this summer, we'll continue to monitor it. Sunwater will continue to keep me informed on that, but certainly when it gets down to around 30 per cent, it is of concern.

JOURNALIST: Just one final one from me. We have reports that recently some areas in Queensland, in Gladstone, had elevated PFAS in drinking water supply. We know that Port [indistinct] reported elevated levels some time ago too. Do you have any concerns about that locally or further afield in the State's water supply?

SPEAKER: Well, that story came out of a report that came out in 2011. We have the safest drinking water in Australia here in Queensland. We have levels set by the Federal Government to make sure that the levels of PFAS in water are set to a standard which is acceptable here in Australia and has been in place for a long time now.

That report was reporting in relation to the United States of America. We're not the United States of America. We have very strict guidelines here in Australia, we have very strict guidelines here in water quality in Queensland, and as the Water Minister, we continue to monitor that.  If there are any spikes in PFAS anywhere our department is on it straight away and addresses those issues.