A Bundaberg business already taking the reef to the world will investigate spawning coral on a commercial basis thanks to a $304,058 Federal Government grant.

Mr CHRISTENSEN: My question is to the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia. Can the minister inform the House how the Morrison-McCormack government is supporting investment in the Australian resources sector and resources projects, including coalmining, which supports jobs in regional Australia? Can the minister advise of any alternative approaches?

Support services in the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay regions will receive additional funding to provide ongoing assistance to local Cashless Debit Card participants.

Local industries, including agriculture and construction, are among the first in Queensland to benefit from more reliable and accessible positioning technology, with Bundaberg one of the first to receive upgrades to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ground stations.

Mr PITT: I acknowledge the contributions of my colleagues through this debate, an acknowledgement of the great contribution of Doug Anthony. On 28 January we did bid farewell to a giant of the National Party. Certainly there have been any number of contributions about what he’s done for our nation; for regional Australia; the famous caravan. But I want to speak about character. Genuinely, Doug Anthony was a quintessential Australian. He was a man who had character, and that shone through at the memorial service last week. There were images of Doug at the beach with an Alvey reel and a bamboo creel and a surf rod and a dog. I know that half the people who might be listening to this broadcast probably don’t know what a bamboo creel is. He was quintessentially Australian, taking time to go fishing, to spend time with their families, to teach and provide knowledge and wisdom to their grandchildren. I think that really shone through at the memorial service, not only last week but in all the contributions that have been made here in this parliament.

Mr O’DOWD (Flynn): My question is to the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia. Will the minister update the House on the resilience of the resource sector and highlight how the Morrison government is assisting this important sector to position Australia for a strong start in 2021 and driving jobs in regional Australia?

Mr PITT (Hinkler—Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia) (15:36): That was a very polite contribution from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, I have to say. I’ll go to his opening remarks about strolling in the grounds of the parliament. As you know, Mr Deputy Speaker O’Brien, I can tell you exactly where we’ve been strolling in recent weeks. It’s been in places like Cloncurry, the Cannington Mine, and Gladstone and Northern Oil. We’ve been to Humpty Doo and Darwin; we’ve been talking to the people of Townsville and right across the north. While I have the opportunity, I’ll give a shout-out to Humpty Doo Barramundi again. What a great Australian success story! It’s a small business that’s driving more jobs with support from the NAIF, which includes a second loan to put on more people, more Australians, in the north. I think that’s a wonderful story that we should all reflect on and be thankful for—that we still have those Australians out there having a crack, employing more people and continuing to grow.

St Vincent de Pauls Childers shop has received an upgrade and a new centre for community assistance has been officially opened thanks to a grant from the Federal Government’s Stronger Communities Programme.

The Mobile Service Centre Blue Gum will visit Howard on Thursday January 28, 2021, providing easier access to essential government services.

More than $3 million has been committed to road safety upgrades throughout the Hinkler electorate under the Road Safety Program.