Dawson’s voters losing out in federal election 2022

As the election nears its end, fury is building at the perceived lack of respect shown to one of Australia’s most productive regions. Find out why Mackay’s mayor is ‘disgusted’ at the campaign.

Billions of dollars in federal funding is being sloshed about the country but Mackay and the broader Dawson electorate is barely wet from the splurge.

Those vying to fight for Dawson in the nation’s capital have had weeks to front up and commit funds for projects our community wants, but have too-often stopped short of making iron-clad commitment.

Leaders fear the meagre funding for developments that would further bolster the region’s economic capability will be left to languish.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson is fuming.

“We’re getting crumbs...” he said.

“There’s a few million dollars being spent here and there.

“Compared to unsafe-seat areas, or low-margin areas, this is an election that is devoid of promises and the pork barrelling is unbelievable in the areas either the Coalition wants to protect their margins or winnability — and the same with Labor.”

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson says the election has been “extremely disappointing.” Picture: Duncan Evans

“The seats that flip-flop, the seats that are marginal, that’s where the money seems to go.”

Two key budget spends booked for the region include $483m for Urannah Dam and $80m for the Bowen Pipeline.

The neighbouring seat of Herbert, by contrast, sits adjacent to the mammoth $5.4bn Hell’s Gate Dam, a project Prime Minister Scott Morrison now backs, and one he flew north to announce.

He has not been to Mackay since 2018.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has not visited Mackay during the campaign, but stopped in briefly in January.

Herbert has also benefited from substantial investment in sporting infrastructure in recent years, including the $250m Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Meanwhile, Mackay’s Harrup Park and BB Print Stadium are scraping for expansion and facelift money and neither has secured an election pledge in the 2022 campaign.

Mr Williamson said the slight was particularly cutting given Dawson’s contribution to the nation.

“Our region is the region that produces for the nation,” he said.

“And yet we’ve got to go cap in hand for everything that we can get in the region.

“Our GDP per capita far surpasses the Queensland average, it far surpasses the national average.

“Because this is a region that puts billions of dollars into the state coffers, it puts billions and billions of revenue into our foreign exchange and yet we get overlooked.”

Resources Centre of Excellence CEO Steven Boxall is also infuriated.

He argues a range of projects have been unfairly left out of the election cash splash, including Harrup Park’s expansion, the Mackay Waterfront, CQUniversity facilities and his own Stage 2 expansion plans.

“Within Dawson there are a range of incredibly important shovel ready projects that have been well planned, widely consulted on and will contribute to the social, economic and environmental future of our region,” he said.

“Yet again it appears we are being overlooked and will be faced with a real fight to win back even a small slice of the revenue our powerhouse region produces for the nation.”

Dawson’s comparative lack of importance is expressed in other ways separate from lacklustre funding commitments.

The prime minister has flown over the seat in his trips to North and Central Queensland.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has not visited Mackay during the campaign, but stopped briefly by the city in January.

Dawson’s ‘flyover’ status could flow from its ultra-safe character.

(From left to right) Former Dawson MP Ray Braithwaite, former Dawson MP De-Anne Kelly, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, Dawson Nationals candidate Andrew Willcox, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan and former Mirani MP Ted Malone attend the campaign launch at the Ocean International Hotel in Mackay on May 4. Picture: Contributed.

The Nationals hold Dawson with a margin of 14.6 per cent and it looks as though their new man, Whitsunday Mayor Andrew Willcox, will keep it in government hands.

In a News Corp exit poll of 213 voters at the Mercury House and Burdekin Sports Club booths on the first day of voting, Mr Willcox leads with 43.6 per cent of first preference votes.

Labor candidate Shane Hamilton is in second position with 84 votes, or 39.4 per cent.

Mr Hamilton eked out a narrow victory at the Mercury House booth, beating Mr Willcox 49 to 46.

Mackay, however, tilts towards Labor and Mr Hamilton will need to get more runs on the board at booths like Mercury House to balance against the booths in Dawson that boast a stronger LNP voter base.

Mr Willcox, as Whitsunday Mayor, is also likely to poll strongly across booths in his council area.

If Mr Willcox wins, the Nationals will have held the seat since 1975, excluding a brief three-year period when Labor’s James Bidgood held power from 2007-10 during the Kevin Rudd wave of success.

At a candidates’ forum Mackay Region Chamber of Commerce hosted early on in the campaign, Mr Hamilton said the best outcome for the people of Dawson would be for the seat to turn marginal.

He said if that were to happen, the money would flow in.

Despite the anger, Dawson has not been left out entirely.

The April budget identifies Central and North Queensland into one of four ‘regions of national importance’ and cities like Mackay and Bowen could gain from their inclusion.

A $2bn regional accelerator program will target local priorities in infrastructure, manufacturing, skills and training, research and development and education.

An extra $2bn in funding for the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility is also locked in.

Originally published as Dawson’s voters losing out in federal election 2022