FULL SHOW 15th SEPTEMBER 2026

0:00Good morning and welcome to Rural Queensland today, Ben Doblin with you this morning. It is the 15th of September and a very good morning to everybody listening to us through 4SB in Kinga Roy, 4Z Aaron Roma, 4VL in Charleville, 4H Iron Emerald, 4LM Mount Isle, 4LG Longridge, 4GC Charters Towers and the Hot Country Network. Good morning to you. Well sorry I wasn't available yesterday, you can tell with my voice on Sunday I was calling called over the weekend and I don't know what happened Sunday night I went to bed and next thing you know I've lost my voice. It's back I apologise for the little bit of croaking as it is today but I am back about I had a full day from talking yesterday. A lot of people thought that was a great thing. I didn't but anyway I am back this morning we'll talk with Sean Dylan the member for Gregory Kate Petel, we'll join us. I'm going to weigh in a little bit on the Toong West Power Station camp because that's heated up again as well. David Little Proud really poning up on that and a lot more.

1:04If you've missed any of us, Benabendoblin.com you can email me. I hope everything went well last week in Mergan but look we'll give you some updates on some camp drafts and obviously a lot happening this week with Rugby League and the Carnival Flowers as well at the back end of the week we might highlight that as well. This is Rural Queensland today. Rural Queensland today let's start the show with the member for Gregory Sean Dylan joining us. Last time we spoke to him he was en route to the birdsville races a couple of weeks past and he joined me this morning. Sean good morning and thanks so much for being with us mate. No, I'm not going to be pleased. As always yeah great trip out west. Crayo was probably a little bit back but that was to be expected with the birdsville track clothes but overall a great couple of days in birdsville. Yeah I mean just quickly we'll touch on that. I mean you talk about the tourism dollar that has to be off the back of the fuel price and just the cost of living which is a greater issue than what's happening in the bush. That's coming from some decisions being made federally.

2:07Mate 100% we're seeing that at a at a pure tourism level at tourist events but but I'm seeing it across my electorate in terms of camp drafts at football games at this the general turning out of the tourism dollar that we'll tourism which is events based. We're certainly seeing a bit of a softening of even locals and it is a bit yep people we've got to drive the price of what they're paying to survive every day is going up so I think those large events like birdsville whilst they were still great and well done that people there I think they're just the same as a small event at common on the weekend which was noticeably back as well so yeah we're definitely seeing a flow and effect of a number of cost of living issues right across the board whether it be fuel or all groceries or whatever that may be so yeah definitely we look forward to what is it you know going to be a tough sum of some of these tourism operators but we look forward to seeing some of our tourism infrastructure funding

3:10delivered which might kick off a bit of exciting opportunity in 2027 for all of these people through the central west and that's that's the big thing isn't it you know we're hearing and talking about and seeing it a lot so hopefully things can come down a little and that the prices at some point will soften and we'll get people back wanting to to go regionally because it's such a big part of it all in all good race meeting though I mean it's it's iconic you saw a bit of the country how did it look I the country looked magnificent really neat and the best reflection of that is not not necessarily the colours on the on the landscape which of course to train eyes enough but the stock we're in absolutely amazing condition you'd say from well pretty well all the way from alpha but definitely once you've got past sort of retreat creek a retreat sorry retreat station heading towards Windora you only know that genuine general country where the floods were this year it's yeah the cattle absolutely top notch they

4:12certainly did made um there's a lot a lot happening we'll start let's start with some good news coming into the Emerald Sayards you guys have had a big win on trialling um give a different class a bit like Rona you can bring three trailers into the Emerald Sayards this has been a bugbear of a lot of truck drivers a lot of grazes and something that that has been looked at and is now being trialled in Emerald yeah we we met with the Queensland Lifestyle Transport and the Association and Council and stakeholders before the election and made a commitment that if we were successful I'm coming to office we would look to see whether it was possible and what steps needed to be undertaken and we've worked closely with council who's consulted broadly within the community and we've commenced the 12th and 12th as I've last fried a for the permission for that type 2 road trains to access in as far as Emerald Sayards and that's going

5:13to make a massive difference initially it's under permit hours so 7pm at night until 7am in the morning it's come Christmas time we we're hopeful that will be positive and will be received positively within going to trial between 9am and 2pm as well additionally to 7pm which will allow for cattle to make curfew hours and talking yesterday with council we're also looking at whether or the council is looking at whether they could perhaps move the curfew at the sayards to accommodate an extra hour in the evening so yeah working closely to minimise a number of truck movements not by that essentially what it is instead of breaking the Emerald Downs Hill and moving to truck maintenance through for 6 decks to make it to the sayards moving through under permit we think it'll be a win for the livestock industry obviously the welfare of the cattle sitting out there on a holiday the welfare of the driver and and yeah obviously road safety as well so is that coming from everywhere from the south from the west and from the north like yeah will you be able to do

6:18that just say hypothetically you're at Rolston or Spring Shore and you want to come that way or is this just one from the west coming in or from the north this is just from the north at this stage double because those other routes are not currently gazetted for right for triple road train so the moment the triples can come down from the north to approximately 10k from Emerald for from the sayards that we're now saying that they can continue right through there's still a number of issues around the future possibility of type 2 from those other directions but most of the configurations from there are quite comfortable with B-doubles and and 4 decks the it's the guys in the north for the sending cattle to Emerald that traditionally send them down in 6 deck lots you know chargers towers even as far as as to your their quick enrichment of selling through Emerald sayards these days will this give them the opportunity to move that stock a long way in one configuration no question are you I mean you're at Alpha like people realize that it'll be a very handy thing for you to have

7:21to be able to do as well when does that road get gazetted well obviously you're fortunate if you're on the right side of Alpha on the northern side you access it by pulling on and you can do that you're going around but yeah but that's a long way around isn't a long way around mate yeah and look obviously I've said for a long time in politics as a mayor and a council of that I genuinely believe we need type 2 road train access from Emerald to all the way west to Merleiser and then only missing link is the bit of Alpha we've obviously got a number of upgrades pleading to you for the for the range and between the range and Emerald I'll be honest there's not a time grader and I could point to double what I can do though is continue to point to the upgrades that we're doing to the cap highway as evidence that there's a there's a strong chance you know and it's not only for cattle right like companies like follow-up transport Emerald carrying all of our freight logistics that move general freight and things like stock feed from Emerald it's way cheaper for people to do that in three trailer configurations up to 53 and a half meters and I think that's the long-term

8:25goal you can't just get to the south as well the inland freight route has a billion dollars gazetted to or allocated to upgrade sections of that road and from Rhyme to south that's already a triple route so we're we're waiting to continue to look at the road safety upgrades it would allow us to do that obviously those roads are in pretty poor condition at the moment you know from spring shorter rolls the new engine a lot of work needs to be done just to make it safe for what we've got on there but would definitely a long-term goal is to continue connecting the points of the campus out of Emerald to be eligible for top-to-status when you have that kind of thing happen and then you talk about like a an inland hub that you've been working on there's been a lot of a lot of work for trying to get produce and everything from Emerald it really can be a focal point can't it we're going to talk with Kate Petal a little later the Flinders show I'm air the it's your kind of councils in the kind of areas where there is a lot of produce there is a lot

9:27happening and it really can make a difference if you have these kind of access this is trying to unlock the central and unlock the north that they're the big points that come out of this yeah 100% and I mean Emerald isn't established grain growing area but the north west is fast um you know I'm exposing the opportunities there as well moving whatever commodity we tend in the biggest configuration we tend saves truck movements which saves their road network and and ultimately most to make it safer and not withstand the longer configuration so I'm I'm very sure that if we could upgrade enough highways in Emerald to access it from the majority of directions I think it's probably a bridge too far to see the capiowater rock him and ever go that way just purely on the volume of traffic double I just can't see that but certainly to the south and to the west the the opportunity that that brings for an additional way out to the local economy

10:27in and around Emerald is exciting and one that we should be definitely pursuing it all at every every step of the boy I absolutely agree okay um you talk about how wonderful it is you it got to experience a pretty special night last night in Brisbane which the central highlands has been doing for some time which just absolutely showcases what a wonderful wonderful area it is yeah mate the CHDC farm defined mining event is an absolute must on the calendar and as I said last night to the guys there it's not often I get to come to Brisbane and see Emerald and you know all of the you know there was photos of cattle at Gnu feedlot and sawgum at and cattle in the paddock at the Arcadia Valley and you just go wow like this is what our region does and the pride and the ability for people to back themselves through that central highlands region is next level and the produce that we put onto the plates of people around the world is amazing to be able to

11:30showcase it to people here in Brisbane at Blackbird last night fantastic you know great stake you know everything like from honey right through the red meat produced in our patch and when when first class chefs get their hands on that sort of quality product they they love it and they and they turn it into the show piece night that it is so we're hats off to CHDC and to me and my audience all the crew there did a fantastic job in promoting the quality of work that our food and fibre producers of central Holland's two year in year out it's just one of those areas that it it is open to everything and it is just a wonderful wonderful area and and you you write about just the promotion of it now it literally is the central highlands to the world isn't it there is nothing that they that can't be produced it can't be exported everywhere that is so important to the economy and just helps out the whole area of the central highlands

12:31yeah definitely I mean citrus nuts cattle advanced wagyu genetics right through into the feed a lot at the in the case of AA's operation cotton mung beans chick peas grapes I'll run out of the top and top over to a cool morning about the quality of of what we do there but it it it it is that we're at the vanguard obviously we're looking at further expansion into into the bio energy industry and we're already with coal the opportunities in in emerald and what we do to not only feed the world but close them and and keep the lights on is is well above most local government areas capacity to punch and we think they've done very well and but taking time and highlighting and recognizing the producers behind that is equally as important as selling the story and I think that's for credit to the chdc for the work they do in both promoting but also allowing people to take five minutes and be proud of their achievements Sean Dylan joining us this morning this is rural

13:32coins landed a we'll take a break come back with more welcome back to rural coins landed a our guess this morning is Sean Dylan Sean we talked about the new dialysis chairs happening in emerald there's still a little bit of pushback with patience and subsidies and everything and rural patient subsidies and the shortfall there are you are you aware like I mean you're trying to get you're trying to get emerald as a hub medically and that's right so people don't have to go as far as rock amp had loved that are you in a lot of ways understanding that that there still is a little bit of unrest around the subsidy and the freight rebates that have happened for travel oh 100% job I hear people I understand we talked earlier in the program of their cost for living affecting events you know affecting them and certainly affecting people who have to travel for for medical appointments but the single biggest lift in the percolometer rate though for

14:33facial travel and taking it to a nation leading is in the positive first step and and that's only just taking effect so genuinely I think that that where people are traveling on their own in their own you know mates of transportation in their own car that's a really positive first step we're also looking at ensuring that people can receive health treatment where and when you need it and if you look across the state you've got mothers that can now have babies in billowella and cook down for the first time in a long time that their services were taken away from them right now this is about restoring people's access to emergency health care it is about filling that gap that exists in regional Queensland we acknowledge that I certainly acknowledge that the overnight stay rate is not where people would like it to be we were forced with the choice you know of where do we go we genuinely believe that

15:36the cost of travel especially with fuel screaming through the north through the northwards both at the time the budget was done and ironically again now we think that that lifting in percolometers was something in the percolometer rate was something that would deliver the most impact for out-of-pocket expenses given that vast kilometers of people right throughout my lectured in particular need to travel but we're continuing to monitor the situation around overnight stay in other elements of patient travel subsidy including the simplicity of claiming the money back when you have spent it and ensuring that that streamlined we know people when we turn to office we're waiting way too long we put dedicated resources into that and we're looking to further simplify that system as part of our upgrades in this budget to patient travel subsidies there. Yeah and I'm pleased you're acknowledging it just quickly I found a little ironic that the tougher bail condition laws that were passed through parliament were voted against by a Labor government that was hellbent on getting youth crime under control. I just don't understand how hypocritical they

16:43have literally this is Stephen Miles and the Labor government they claim that they want to try and get this state back on track but the minute anything sensible comes through or over they just vote against it no matter what and that was clear and evident and we need to start calling that out Sean in a lot of ways their behaviour they are not in any way regional or rural Queensland's friends at all. No because if youth crime crosses this is through a large part of it right I'm fortunate that that it hasn't permeated in a large way certainly not in a dangerous and significant way into Gregory but my colleagues in you know rock him that in in in in the choir certainly seriously affected and and we're saying it doesn't matter whether you're a youth or an adult if you're on bail for a crime and then commit another serious offense one of the 43 designated adult crime adult crime offenses you will serve a mandatory 12 months in jail I mean the premier is absolutely unequivical when we've come under fire about how many people could go to jail he doesn't care

17:47and nor do I how many people end up in prison song as they're not in your lantern and yet laid out we see you know they're continuing their hand ringing on this and they can't possibly because they take their advice from criminals not from victims of crime yeah there's ones who want to raise the age of criminal responsibility they're the ones who've watered downbarrel provisions as soon as they came to office in 2015 they spent a decade in gendering and fostering the system as it is to facilitate a life of youth crime we've done all we can do in two years we're starting to turn that back around we're starting to see a softening there's a lot more to be done and we believe that breach bail go to jail will be the next important step to help those keep those receive the offenders behind bars for the law and I think when the sooner that they get called out for not supporting it and not in a lot of ways trying to to get it under control I think you know

18:48it's just ridiculous what's going on sadly and you mcgibson passing away just an icon of the the bush the Gibson family and Gibson grazing have done wonderful things mcgibson has been such an advocate I was very saddened here of his passing over the last couple of days he was an icon of the bush yeah certainly my condolences to his family the people that set the trail you know blaze the trails for generations to follow and you know we can only we'll tell a story in the fuller supply and but yeah certainly a sad day for the industry but I thought it's at a more personal level with his family and loved ones yet never done a lot of the bush done a lot for the bush mcgibson and Gibson grazing have been very good and you're right do his three sons and he's white but very very sad to hear that and so they're passing or of mcgibson just an icon um Sean Dylan have a fun week in parliament mate it's always fun um we appreciate your time this

19:49morning thanks for being with us great job I thanks very much good on you we're going to take a break come back plenty more to get through this is rural Queensland today welcome back to rural Queensland today bend up on with you this morning it is the 15th of September across rural Queensland today which is one nation are getting hammered as we speak over some of their plans to slash migration and look let me just say this now we are going to see a lot of negative comments towards one nation a lot of negative comments towards the LMP a lot of negative comments towards the Labor Party by opposition parties over the next couple of months the reason being is there's an election next year and everybody's justly but when one nation come out and plan to cut migration by more than 750,000 there is a lot of people jumping up and down now saying that our food security our

20:53healthcare and our economic prosperity is at risk and we're in big trouble and rightly so Labor and the the coalition have not come forth with their policies at all but one thing that has happened is is one nation have come out and at least said well we've got a we've got a net intake of 130,000 migrants and there's going to be a cap now they've promised visa cuts they've promised it won't extend or working holiday makers or Pacific workers but one nation have said they would slash the number of student visas granted by the current 338,000 to just over 100,000 places a year well I don't mind that I don't I don't have a problem with that the party said it would prioritize regional universities by the Queensland Farmers Federation executive

21:53Coley Porter warned harsh cuts would be a devastating impact to the state so this is the balance we need to get to we need to get to that a student visa how is it going to have a negative impact on the on the farming community this is what we need to get to the bottom of we want regional universities to be prosperous right we want the regions to be and have a huge role but to try and you know also work on that they have a part-time job or that they're working in the regional communities and able to survive well that's going to be a big thing we've got ourselves in a precarious position here in this country the one nations plan of a new high value student category would be created allowing 15,000 places per year but visas for the families on these

22:57international students and skilled migrants would be cut to zero and people who overstay their visas will be banned from Australia for life now the number of temporary skilled visas granted would be slashed to half to 70,000 a year now obviously people are up in arms about this and rightly so because it's different to the status quo that we've always had for the Australian Chamber of Commons and industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said if he had eventually added it would be like a COVID level shock to the economy that would be filled everywhere many Australia businesses will be pushed put put put it risk by major cuts to the migration program pubs cap a hotel's accommodation providers desperately need chefs aged care homes hospitals are short of staff farmers and resource sectors continue to face persistent work for shortages well let's have a little real thing about this if the right people are coming across and we are checking everybody that's coming in well then

24:02the right people can go to the region I don't think one nation is saying let's stop and let's put all those regional sectors at risk we're they're just trying to get some control on what is happening to this great country and get the migration laws under control now the LMP the national party the Labor the Greens will all shout that we're racist and that one nation is as bad as bad it's just not it's just not Murray what said the policy would destroy regional economies will marry your legislation and laws as the environmental minister are destroying our country absolutely destroying our country yet that's what we have to deal with can I just say that I in a lot of ways applaud the bravery of one nation for coming out and actually trying to make some stance because you've got to remember the migration laws from the two major parties they haven't come out yet and if you think we've got it under control well boy oh boy are you wrong on

25:09that we need to make sure that we're right we need to make sure that we are under control and we may need to make sure that the immigration laws and the migration laws are right that our work forces there we also need to get Aussies back working as well there's too many people on NDIS there's too many people claiming pensions there's too many people on the rock and roll let's put some of them back to work pretty simple it's pretty simple the coal industry also can rescue this state from turmoil as well the fight states financial position is under real pressure and look today there's going to be a lot of arguments but resource bosses and Queensland politicians need to go and say right this is it we can rescue and get our AAA credit rating back if we start getting coal back and start getting some resources back going that way the coal royalties need to be looked at

26:10we need to change it they're broken at the present moment they're introduced by Labor but the state is nearly broke and now we lose our credit rating from AAA down to AA there's 190 million tons of coal in 2019 exported and it's fallen to 150 million in June this year so in eight years that's what's happened we need to change it we need to change it they'll be looking at that at the moment that's a lot going on I really think one nation of being hung out to dry on some of their beliefs and policies when no one else is talking about them there's a happy medium with it all but jeez they've got to be kind it needs to be different to what it currently is we're going to take a break come back still plenty more to get through this is rural Queensland today and you're with Ben Doblin rural Queensland today Ben Doblin with you this morning Kate Petel joins us the Flindershire council mayor she joins us off the back of some really great stuff that's been happening lots of good stuff happening in the Flinders couple of questions to be asked Kate good

27:15morning and thanks so much for being with us good morning Doblin thanks for having me wonderful to talk to you we'll start with the negatives and then we'll get to the positives can you tell me why or and I know this you'll be so frustrated on this why we haven't got construction with the Copperstring project underway please tell me I am at a loss you guys want it it's ready everybody's waiting yet we have we're not saying anything happened at the moment I mean even Joseph O'Brien just shakes his head and disbelief back here in Brisbane where are we at with it yes number one frustration and um a continual conversation but we do have earthworks happening so there's some progress probably compared to the last time that I spoke to you but yes these these projects just seem to take far too long but I could see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel and that's in the way of the earth's observation earthworks yeah so once that happens it's going to take some time you can see the potential for it it will open up your town and

28:19surrounding areas but have we got any sort of time frame on it like I reckon it was three or four years ago that this all started and we should be operational I mean Robbie goes on about it I know you're frustrated about it is there any real answers coming out about timelines I think the short answer is no um but I don't necessarily get bogged down enough so much now because I just I have a level of common sense about it in practicality and to me you're not going to dump as much money as they are into doing the earthworks and getting the substation prepared where we're working through traffic management plans for all of the electrical components that are coming out for the substation so that's why say I see light at the end of the tunnel because as much as I would like to think the government operates as practical and as much common sense as what we do those two things together make me believe that it's certainly moving forward but in terms of tight timeline no I certainly don't have anything like that but so like you said three or

29:22four years I thought by the end of my first term as an area I hear that we would have seen a far more far more construction than what we are and we um we we really can't believe that it's taken this long I don't think anybody can one of the good stories though for the flenders and one something that you haven't mucked around the the beautiful part of you being mayor cate is that you don't take bullshit and you haven't come through bureaucracy your whole life so when you want to get something done you just go and rip the band aid off and try and get it done and that's very much like what you've done with the $20 million investment you got for upgrading upgrading your full-ball project through the flenders shark and you just talk to us about that because that was a great new story I read last week about now you hadn't mucked around there was more storage needed there was more upgrades to your water network done yet no one wanted to put their head up everyone's like hi it'll be all right and you just said no no no no no we actually need this and you got the result

30:26thank you but I'm not sure I'm entirely the silver bullet because our first conversation about co-pasturing enabled a fair bit of leverage that we were we were able to use ultimately with the treasurer and I mean there's not another person we think cabinet there that supports the co-pasturing project as much as the treasurer and that enabled me early early on to have the conversations about what the pressure and with going to be on our community and ultimately it was us doing a lot of investigating into our water and sewage and what our capacity was and what our failings were and not trying to sugarcoat it all but just take it head on what's in all and figure out what the issue was and then leverage and work with the treasurer to be able to secure that funding to fix it well I am no what so what happens now you've secured the funding what happens now yes that's a pretty big project it's not one fix and I think that was the issue that would seem historically councils don't have a lot of a coin in reserve to be able to just continue throwing money and investigating what the problem is or doing quick fixes and hoping that it will

31:26work so like I said we did spend a quite a lot of money and time actually trying to figure out what the issue was within the network and the combination is chlorine was mandated you know quite some time ago now and we have very old infrastructure so it was somewhat stripping the parts that we hunt but equally we don't have a water treatment plant so the actual dispersion of the chlorine self wasn't being done well so the water treatment plant is a large component of that project of works but we also have really old boards some of our boards are 160 years old and you know they've had a good innings but they certainly need an upgrade so I think the first things that we'll start to see now that we've sort of shifted out of planning are we into execution is the replacement of the few of those boards and we have a tender out at the moment for the design and constructs for our first water treatment plant which shows rest the dispersion of the chlorine and it needs to happen so you're right on that off the back of that and off the back of them we're talking with Mayor Kay Petal from the Flindershire you've done a 10-year 10-to-15-year plan

32:29master plan on making sure that you and an upgrade and the projected growth that's going to come because you you talk about the water upgrade you talk about copper string you we understand that is going to open up the north and you've done a 10-to-15-year plan where you've looked at everything and expecting the significant growth and projected growth and you've looked at everything and one of it includes a new 25-meter heated pool carabin park upgrades improve shades landscaping footpaths youth facilities the water the infrastructure this is a lot of forward thinking that hasn't happened out of here and for a long time and you can actually see it you're going to make sure that there is more I mean 38 million dollar vision is a lot to see hewittens leisure center overhauled over the next 10 to 15 years that's important yeah very important but that's by confidence I think perhaps what the community has seen over the last years is you know it's going in multiple different directions but we've really landed at a point now where all those directions

33:31that we were we're heading are all interconnected um so as you say planning and you know development that we've need to do behind the scenes in terms of what we're actually going to progress with has taken a really long time so the way I look at my term is the first year we've really hooked in we identified the problems to start with we figured out all right how are we going to fix the problems and then what does the future look like and again we've just been really lucky having you know fair few big projects and you know other developments happening our community or potential one so that we needed to get on the front foot and figure out well how do we capitalize on the growth that's on a doorstep and make sure that we're positioned to give confidence only to people that want to move out here but also continue to create a great environment for people that choose to live here now so the leisure precinct is a part of that we do the huge community needs assessment and ultimately that's given us the toolkit so when I'm sitting down and I'm talking to wind developers I'm not I'm not guessing I'm not picking up the phone last minute trying to figure out what the community needs we've got it all and we know in priority order exactly what our community needs and want for at least 10 15 years so when this and this will all happen

34:37it will happen but we're the wind project you just touched on you get the cop string up you got the infrastructure you got the water you got the growth the town's going in the right direction will there be the renewable push like you guys want it you're one of the councils that want that so it is there and has that been identified that potentially you will get the turbines there and and that is going to happen in your community yeah we certainly hope so I don't know a lot of your wishes might be rolling their eyes at the moment but again I know it's all it's all relative on on land space I think everybody here and a lot of listeners roll their eyes because of the setbacks on like highly sought after and smaller properties like in gender how he and Tara but when you get to the flinders and there's people that want that and that can offset some of their income we've got no problem with it it's just in that you know smaller areas that you know and prime agricultural land down on the downs where everybody just shagged their head in disbelief but I think if your

35:43your district wants it they should be embracing it I we really believe that so will it happen yeah it's certainly a number of games up here for us and we've had you know many conversations about what it'll do for our economy ultimately but you're dead right it's our landholders they're embracing it no one is really pushing against it and again it's a numbers game and we don't really find to the arguments you know they're the same in like quite black and white when there's a whole lot of area in the middle which creates opportunities for our communities so in terms of tolerance and whether I think it's going to go ahead I think that's one of a political question for our leaders but then the message that I could get to you today is you need to look at communities like flinders see what resources they have to capture again we don't have any critical minerals here we're sort of very strong agricultural industry we raise beef cattle out here and we have an opportunity to diversify that and I think again they're all interconnected in terms of co-pistering we have to be very careful about how much pushback report on developers out here particularly in regards to wind because we might be generating electricity from wind but what

36:43co-pistering needs is that generation to be able to supply the demands that we see on the coast but if we start threatening the generators and we start threatening the mines to the west the consumers then we're going to have a real problem with trying to get co-pistering you know validated again and ensure that it's a confident investment from the government and I don't want any risk associated to that you know by people pushing against it for seemingly wrong reasons no and so everybody's on board the the F-Triple R you know you've got a lot of positives they've given a lot of money within to you guys some funding funding rounds and we're going to talk with the F-Triple R tomorrow but you know money is going in there freight is going into you you're getting your freight lines right but it was a great story about out of your neck of the woods about the funding the funding community funding projects and the F-Triple R have strengthening rural communities Croydon, Hildon, Richmond, Boulier, DumaG, all of them are receiving money and

37:45the latest ones you know like you know unbelievable a $10,000 to establish the Huat and Bullseye like wonderful that's the kind of stuff that's making a difference yeah and I think that represents the feeling in the community or I certainly hope it does people are seeing a bit of confidence in the future and you know that our opportunity for growth is there so you we start to see locals doing incredible things like that in the Bullseye I mean how exciting our private business is already sponsored for it so we're keen to jump on it's very exciting yeah wonderful Huat and in the Flinders is doing a great job and there's no surprises you as mayor things are starting to progress you took a commercial mindset and brought it into the political landscape and your town is going great guns you should be congratulated there's still a lot of challenges and one thing you don't want to do is take Cape Petal on an affight because you like a dog with a bone and things are happening in your neck of the woods so I congratulate you I do want to see the copper string get underway it's an important integral part but appreciate

38:47your time this morning on rural Queensland today thanks very much I really appreciate it good on your Cape Petal this is rural Queensland today with Ben Dolman well that's it from us here this morning I hope you've enjoyed the show and lovely showed it to be a part of and I'm really appreciate giving you some time this morning we'll be back again tomorrow morning from 9am Gary Hargraves joins you next for the next couple hours and here we'll join you to take you all the way through to lunchtime have a great day Queensland and remember when the weavers right keep the headers rolling in the paddock we'll catch you again tomorrow morning from 9am on rural Queensland see you later and have a great day