Media Release

7/8/19

Senator Pauline Hanson is disappointed that a request for billboards to help direct tourists to the struggling Central Queensland town of Marlborough has been ignored by the Defence Department.

The townspeople themselves say they are “disgusted” that their livelihoods are to be virtually relegated to the local museum.

The Department has bought considerable swathes of land around the town, as part of its $900-million investment in the area for a joint Singapore-Australia military initiative and the Shoalwater Bay training facility.

Sen Hanson wrote to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds to advise that the land buy-up had caused a drop in clientele at Marlborough businesses, and to request it, at least, erect billboards on the nearby Bruce Highway to help direct more people to the town.

“I can’t understand why the Government won’t agree to this initiative and help this community restore its economic future,” Sen Hanson said.

“This is a small expenditure when you consider the $900-million allocated to this project, and it will make a difference to this community.”

Comments in a visitor’s book at the local Marlborough Convenience Store echoed the requests:

“Awesome friendly town; great little café with real service,” one visitor wrote. “I wish it was sign-posted and promoted better; I would have been long before now.”

Another traveller added: “What a beautiful town. There should be more signage on the Bruce to alert people to the location and the facilities. Had a wonderful lunch, now off to a museum.”

However, Minister Reynolds responded to Senator Hanson’s request by outlining that a number of local companies had been awarded contracts for work in the area and 75 ongoing jobs would be created in the central Queensland region.

She made no mention of the billboard request.

Ms Reynolds noted that much of the purchased land was still leased by graziers, but Sen Hanson said that hasn’t stopped the fall in customers.

“The small business owners in Marlborough are the innocent victims of the Defence Department’s big plans, so it seems only right that a relatively small portion of that massive amount of money gets directed to a project that can counteract that problem,” Sen Hanson said.

Marlborough residents said they’ve been left in the dark by the Department about the project and were unhappy with offers to ensure the history of acquired properties would be “captured” for the local museum’s collections.

“We’re disgusted that our livelihoods and lifestyles are being confined to a museum. It’s an insult,” one community member said.

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