Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill urges southerners to seize job vacancies in North Queensland

Townsville’s mayor has issued a blunt challenge to Victorian city slickers to leave their studio apartments and seize the job opportunities in North Queensland. Watch the PM’s response.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill has told southern capital city residents to “get the friggin hell off your arses” and move to North Queensland, while speaking alongside the Prime Minister and Premier.

The leaders of the three tiers of government spoke on the far-reaching benefits of the $137m Townsville hydrogen hub which would create 200 construction jobs, and 300 technical and engineering jobs.

“I want to throw a challenge out to those guys and girls to get out of their studios in Melbourne … predominantly,” Cr Hill said to the national news networks.

“They never seem to move anywhere else outside of Australia but live in the Melbourne bubble.

“Get the friggin hell off your arses and travel north and see what the rest of Australia is like, and stop trying to tell us how to run our lives, so tell them that.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with State Emergency Service workers at a visit to the temporary waste disposal site at Lou Litster Park after Cyclone Kirrily. Picture: Evan Morgan

Cr Hill said these skilled hydrogen project workers and an increased number of defence personnel workers moving to Townsville could move to the proposed North Rail Yards, which could offer high-density housing if delivered.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded swiftly, over the laughter of representatives including State Resources Minister Scott Stewart and local MP Aaron Harper.

“I just want to make the point I love Townsville,” Mr Albanese said.

“I also want to make the point I love Melbourne, and my job is to love the entire country.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper, Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill, Premier Steve Miles and Member for Townsville Scott Stewart visit the temporary waste disposal site at Lou Lister Park after Cyclone Kirrily. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Albanese and Premier Steven Miles were also shown the response measures of ex-Cyclone Kirrily by Cr Hill, who is the chairwoman of the Townsville Local Disaster Management Group.

In humid weather they met recovery workers at the local Cyclone Disaster Recovery Centre and watched green waste from the disaster being piled up.

“It’s not our first rodeo,” Cr Hill said to the Prime Minister and Premier.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Premier Steve Miles, Member for Townsville Scott Stewart and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill discuss the ex-cyclone recovery efforts in Townsville. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Albanese said the Federal Government had been prepared to help out if it was needed.

“We had the Australian Defence Force on standby ready to rock and roll,” Mr Albanese was overheard saying.

He said that while power had been cut to households for days, the aftermath was “better than what was anticipated”.

There had been numerous government workers and community members that worked hard to bring back power to their neighbourhoods.

“I’ve got to say this as someone who is not a Queenslander, Queensland did the right thing by keeping its electricity in public hands,” Mr Albanese said.

Originally published as Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill urges southerners to seize job vacancies in North Queensland