Interview with Murray Jones, 4CA Cairns

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
4CA CAIRNS
FRIDAY, 17 JULY 2026

SUBJECTS: Upgrades to Cairns Western Arterial Road, Sugar Code of Conduct Review.

MURRAY JONES: Well, good morning, it's 846 4CA. Public holiday here in Cairns today, of course, for the Cairns Show, but a special guest and I'm keen to talk to him. He's here in town at the moment. We have Queensland Senator Anthony Chisholm. Good morning Anthony, how are you today?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Good to be with you and your listeners. Fantastic, beautiful day in Cairns.

MURRAY JONES: Yeah, it certainly is. Now look, I should give you your correct title right from the word go. Assistant Minister for Resources, Regional Development, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. So, we haven't got much time left now, so we're through all that. Let's talk about what you did yesterday, and I believe meeting with representatives of all flavours in relation to the Western Arterial Road. And I know that, you know, particularly even for where I live, these, these big moves here are certainly very much welcomed, Anthony.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Yeah, and just while we were there yesterday, I could see how busy that road was. That was mid-morning, I imagine, earlier in the morning at peak hour, and in the afternoon it's even busier.

MURRAY JONES: Sure.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: So, I know this is something that's been frustrating locals for a long period of time. I was there with the Premier and Federal Member Matt Smith and the State Member Bree James. We announced that early works would start, that the tender has been awarded there and that that will enable the substantial works to start mid next year. So, people will start being inconvenienced by the roadworks, but I know that's always a good thing because you know that that dual laning of that section will start, and that'll be a great outcome for the local community. It'll mean you'll get home sooner. And it also means it stands up better in the wet season as well.

MURRAY JONES: Yeah, and look, when it comes to dual carriageways, in some ways they can be a shield and a sword because obviously it's great to have the dual carriageway, but as soon as it narrows down to just a one-way street each way certainly causes the issue. So, that's what we're looking to iron out, I guess time span, because we are talking about fairly substantial work here. It is likely to take quite a while, though.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: It will, and unfortunately, it is a significant project so that means it does take time. The Premier was very clear that he wants these infrastructure projects completed by the time the Olympics rolls around. And you know this is a substantial upgrade. We know it's one that will take time. But the good thing is that you've got a state and federal government, a local member in Matt Smith who's committed to seeing stage one done but then moving on to stage two and three as well, which will really move the dial for the local community.

MURRAY JONES: Yeah, and I think, you know, when you see governments working together there, especially from different political stripes, that's the important thing. Things are moving forward. Now look, Anthony, I'm sure you've heard this before. We've got, you know, obviously still some long-term issues with the Kuranda Range. It is a difficult one when it comes to the volumes, the business case and all that type of thing. Been a long-term issue after Cyclone Jasper. But I'm sure you've probably still got the pressure on and a lot of discussions about options for the Kuranda Range as well.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Yeah, we had a chat. Matt and I caught up this morning and had a chat about that as well. He's someone who's very passionate about road projects in the region, and I know that's another one that's been an issue for a long period of time, and it's one that we'll remain committed to doing what we can to ensure that it's a good outcome for the local community.

MURRAY JONES: And look, I know it's not an easy one; there's never going to be an easy fix in relation to that but so important. Now look, speaking about the Western Arterial Road, that's basically where I live. You would have seen all the cane fields in the area. I spent a lot of time in the cane paddocks and often love seeing the cane trains going past great places to walk. But when it comes to the Sugar Code Review and making sure that, you know, farmers, millers, everyone involved is getting a fair deal, I believe that that's something you're looking at while you're here as well.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Yeah, so that's part of my responsibilities in the agricultural portfolio. And obviously, being a Queensland Senator, you get a sense of how important sugar is for regional towns and communities like this in the far north. The code's been in place now for almost a decade, and it's one that has delivered outcomes over that period of time. But it does have a sunset clause, which means it needs to be reviewed. And that's part of the reason why I'm up here. I'm about to hit the road down through Cairns to Townsville and then further down to Ayr over the next couple of days. And that's about listening to millers, growers, the local community and getting a sense about what we can do to improve the code, but also ensure that the sugar industry has a bright future - it has been the lifeblood of many regional towns for the last couple of decades. We want to ensure that the industry is well placed to take advantage of future opportunities. And so it's part of the discussions over the next couple of days.

MURRAY JONES: And I know it's been a fairly tough couple of years, and we've had the closure of mills and some real impacts, particularly on towns like Mossman. I remember when I was at primary school, my primary school teacher said to me, if I was ever going to be a farmer, I'd be a cane farmer, because you get six months off every year. Don't know that it was quite as simple as that, but obviously things are a lot tougher for the whole industry these days compared to 15, 20 years ago.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Yeah, and I think that any industry that's trade-exposed, like sugar is, obviously relies on the international market, and that can be quite volatile. And we've had challenges with some countries in terms of the role that they play in driving the price down. But what we do know is that there is optimism around future opportunities. So, low-carbon liquid fuels, which is obviously a significant opportunity. Co-generation, which some mills have been able to do. So, we do want to ensure that we get the code right so that the industry is well placed to take advantage of those future opportunities. That would be good for the mills, but it'll be good for the growers and regional communities to know they've got confidence that the sugar industry is going to be around for many decades to come.

MURRAY JONES: Look, we could talk about a lot of things today, but it is a public holiday, so we might leave it at that. But I will say one thing that's certainly concerning me is just the absolute disgrace of what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz. And I know that the Prime Minister in particular has established a good relationship with the Canadian Prime Minister. They've got a lot of resources of oil, so hopefully, some of the concerns on the horizon we can focus on areas that are not relying on the Strait of Hormuz. So, something for you to think about on your drive today and tomorrow, Anthony.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Yeah, thanks, Murray. And those international relationships have obviously been vital over the last several months as we've dealt with the fallout from the Middle East crisis.

MURRAY JONES: Have a great trip down the coast, Senator for Queensland, that's Anthony Chisholm.