News

Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson is calling for urgent State Government action to curb stolen car crime.

Townsville resident, John Nawar is the latest crime victim, with his stolen Jeep being one of many wreaking havoc across Townsville on Tuesday, forcing the Civic Theatre into lockdown.

Mr Thompson and Mr Nawar met at a local towing yard today, where Mr Nawar’s car is currently being held, along with half a dozen others that were used in the carnage.

The Maritime Museum of Townsville is set to unveil a new memorial plaque to recognise the maritime efforts of the region.

HMAS Magnetic was a naval depot erected along Townsville’s coastline in 1942, which made a significant contribution to the allied war efforts in World War II.

The Maritime Museum were the successful recipient of the Federal Government’s Saluting their Service Grant, which enabled them to erect a commemorative plaque in ANZAC Memorial Park on the Strand.

October 14 is the date set for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum.

Jenna and my position on the Voice has not changed: it will divide our nation.

We all agree we need to do something different in order to close the gap, but another national body that does not take into consideration the local voices in our community is not the answer.

Townsville locals have been left hurting after the Albanese Labor Government broke its promise to deliver a bulk-billing, urgent care clinic in the region.

During the 2022 Federal Election campaign, the Albanese Labor Government committed to delivering 50 Medicare urgent care clinics across Australia to be established by May 2023, with one later announced for Townsville. The clinics were expected to have extended operating hours and charge no out-of-pocket costs to patients.

Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said community members like Mt Low resident Mikayla Lovegrove are telling him they’re struggling to find affordable healthcare for their families.

Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to press pause on its phase-out of gillnet fishing and begin community consultation.

On World Environment Day, the Federal Labor Minister for Environment and Water and State Labor Minister for Fisheries announced the phase-out of N2 and N4 licenses by December 31, 2023.

The decision would put an end to the use of set mesh netting in offshore waters, the technique used to catch fish like barramundi, king salmon, flake and grey mackerel.

Three war memorial plaques in Oonoonba which have been either relocated or gone missing will be restored after Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Phillip Thompson raised questions over their disappearance.

Three monuments on the site of bombings in 1942 were erected between 1992 and 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Japanese air raid over Townsville and the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Pacific.

Last month Mr Thompson was contacted by concerned community member, Ray Schinkel, who alerted him that access to the monument site was now prohibited. On Mr Schinkel’s most recent yearly Anzac Day vigil at the site, he noticed the plaques missing.

Herbert MP Phillip Thompson is calling for an historic World War II memorial in Oonoonba to be preserved, with the site at risk of being lost to state government development.

The Palaszczuk Labor Government took ownership of the parcel of land where the monument was erected in 1992 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a Japanese air raid over Townsville.

Mr Thompson was recently contacted by concerned community member, Ray Schinkel, who visits the site to transmit via AM radio to commemorate Anzac Day. Mr Schinkel recently noticed that the original monument had been moved and two of the three plaques had been removed. For this year’s Anzac Day, access was prohibited.

An exorbitant increase to the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) is making it near impossible to hire migrant hospitality workers in Townsville.

The Albanese Labor Government recently increased the minimum wage that a migrant worker must be paid to qualify for a temporary work visa from $53,900 to $70,000.

Herbert MP Phillip Thompson was recently contacted by Pilgrim Sailing owner Clare Ley. Her Magnetic Island sailing charter company is now having to pay her migrant on-board hospitality workers $70,000 minimum wage because of the 30% increase to the threshold; which is more than the award wage of the local workers.

Herbert MP Phillip Thompson has welcomed the opening of applications for a $70M fund to build a green hydrogen industry in Townsville.

The Townsville Hydrogen Hub was a commitment of the former Coalition Government, following long-term advocacy in partnership with the industry and Townsville Enterprise.

Mr Thompson said he was pleased proponents can now get on with their applications.

Herbert MP Phillip Thompson has welcomed the start of construction on a new purpose-built Townsville centre for early-intervention for children with autism today.

The former Coalition Government committed $2M in federal funding at the last election for the AEIOU Foundation for Children with Autism to construct the new facility, but the project was cast into doubt when the Albanese Labor Government announced it would be cutting the program that was set to pay for it.

The new facility will allow AEIOU to expand their service offering to more local families who require their much-needed support, having operated out of a cramped and no-longer-suitable centre in Kirwan.

Townsville community organisations can now apply for up to $15 million worth of funding for capital works projects.

Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson is calling for expressions of interest in the Growing Regions Program, for grant funding between $500,000 and $15 million.

Funding is available for up to 50% of the cost of eligible capital works projects, or 90% of the cost of eligible projects for First Nations Community Controlled Organisations.

Herbert MP Phillip Thompson is calling on the State Labor Member for Townsville to come clean over comments suggesting federal funding for Townsville’s Concert Hall had been cut.

In an interview with 7NEWS on Friday, State Labor MP Scott Stewart claimed that Mr Thompson had reneged on his $98M funding commitment for construction of the project, which was secured during the last term of the Coalition Government.

But in a meeting held this week between Mr Thompson and Federal Labor Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, the Minister confirmed that the funding remained committed.