Minister dodges question on road upgrade

THE State Labor Government has refused to commit to upgrading a flood-prone section of the Bruce Highway after a pointed question from Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto in parliament last week. Mr Dametto used his Question Without Notice to ask Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey whether he would commit to using $40 million in […] READ MORE

Dametto ditches hair for fundraiser

HINCHINBROOK MP Nick Dametto is sporting a slick new look after deciding to part with his hair in support of a fundraiser for cancer patients. Mr Dametto said he was inspired by organiser Serenella Fava’s brave decision to shave her hair at Lucinda Point Hotel last Saturday night. “It was such a selfless act by […] READ MORE

Dametto fights for energy security

QUEENSLAND and Australia must secure its energy supply for future generations instead of selling everything off to the highest bidder, warns Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto. Speaking on Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter’s Private Member’s Motion on energy supply in parliament on Wednesday, Mr Dametto said successive State and Federal governments had failed their citizens […] READ MORE

Emergency accommodation needed for District

THE State Labor Government urgently needs to invest in temporary emergency accommodation to counteract an alarming shortage of rental properties in the Herbert River District, says Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto. Mr Dametto said he was “dismayed” at the lack of emergency accommodation for local families who were in danger of becoming homeless as their current […] READ MORE

Regional hearings confirmed for Youth Justice Bill

NORTH Queenslanders will be able to have their say on the State Labor Government’s Youth Justice Bill after the Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Safety Committee confirmed regional hearings would be held this month. The move follows calls by Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto for regional hearings given the extent of the youth crime crisis facing the […] READ MORE

Council approves $6.3m for sewage plant

HINCHINBROOK MP Nick Dametto has welcomed Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s decision to conditionally approve $6.3 million in State funding for a new Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Port Hinchinbrook. Mr Dametto said he was “pleased” by the unanimous decision, with a motion to accept the funding led by Division 1 Councillor Barry Barnes. “This is […] READ MORE

Govt to respond to police station petition

A PETITION calling for a police station to be built at Bushland Beach has been formally tabled in parliament following a campaign to improve community safety. The e-petition and paper petition, which was started by local resident Kaye Greaves and sponsored by Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto, attracted more than 800 signatures and will now be […] READ MORE

Youth Justice Bill needs regional hearings

PUBLIC hearings into the State Labor Government’s Youth Justice Bill must be held across North Queensland, says Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto. Mr Dametto said it would be unacceptable if Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Safety Committee confined hearings to Brisbane “given the extent of the youth crime crisis facing North Queensland”. “There needs to be a […] READ MORE

Fate of Port Hinchinbrook rests with council

THE future of Port Hinchinbrook rests with Cassowary Coast Regional Council as the State government makes one final offer for a new sewage treatment plant. Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto said he understood council was in negotiations with the State over funding necessary to replace the development’s failing STP after they originally knocked back $4.3 million […] READ MORE

Neglected highway leads to a future of delays

THE State Labor Government’s refusal to invest in upgrading a Bruce Highway link between Ingham and Cardwell will only see more road closures during wet season, says Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto. Mr Dametto said Transport and Main Roads had so far refused to allocate any funding to a long-standing $40 million commitment from the Federal […] READ MORE