Nationals’ Senator for Queensland, Senator Barnaby Joyce, is this week in North Queensland at the invitation of Etheridge Shire Council and the Gulf Savannah Development Group.

“It is imperative for the development of North Queensland that incentives are given to people to compensate the fact that they are moving to a new area, away from the public utilities that are present in the metropolitan areas.

“Quite simply, why would you leave Brisbane or Sydney with the public hospitals, the roads, the child care facilities, the schools, the social recreational facilities, to move to an area where these things are a scarcity and yet you are on exactly the same rate of tax?

“On a user pays system you get to use far more public infrastructure paid for by the public purse in the metropolitan areas then someone in a remote area.

“You need to offer a back pocket reason to encourage people to move away from where these public utilities are in abundance to where they are non existent. If you are relying purely on a sense of patriotism to develop our nation further; I wish you all the best of luck but I think there is snow flakes chance in hell of getting them to move.

“Many developed nations including the US, UK, France and the Republic of Ireland, and Australia in the past, have used the form of taxation manipulation as a back pocket reason to get you somewhere, which all things being equal, would suggest you'd be less than encouraged to go there otherwise.

“I look forward to going out to the Gulf and hearing what ideas they have for the development of their area or if they want their area to develop at all.

“I always acknowledge that there is a possibility that some areas would prefer not to develop.” Senator Joyce said.