Colin Boyce wary of net-zero impact on Flynn heavy industries

The Member for Flynn reignited the Coalition climate wars during the election, when he labelled the former government's 2050 net-zero plan "flexible". Up until that point, there was an unofficial climate truce between the two major parties, both sides avoiding the topic.

But Mr Boyce can't believe the blow back he received saying the plan had to have "wiggle room".

"I stand by those comments, any path to net zero has to be flexible, it has to have wiggle room," Mr Boyce said.

"What amazes me is now, a month after the election, there are a number of political commentators and politicians making similar statements - albeit a little different."

Mr Boyce's less than enthusiastic opinion of net-zero policies is not surprising given the industries that dominate his electorate. Flynn has 15 coal mines, three coal-fired power stations, a coal seam gas industry, an aluminium smelter, a large resource exporting port and a huge agriculture sector.

"All these industries are heavy carbon emitters," Mr Boyce said.

"Flynn is one of the engine rooms of the Australian economy. If we are to decarbonise the world, you have to ask the question, how is that going to affect the livelihoods of people working in those heavy industries?

"No one is offering any sort of reasonable explanation of the cost, who will bear the brunt of it and what will happen to their livelihoods."

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Mr Boyce said if the net-zero plan was rushed, it would be akin to "economic suicide" and "cutting the head off the goose that lays the golden eggs".

"If [net zero] is what democracy demands, everyone needs to take a sideways step, a deep breath and consider the ramifications of where we're going with and how it's achieved," he said.

"This has to be done in practical and pragmatic terms. That's why we need policies that are flexible and have wiggle room to change our course or direction as need be."

If the nation is to become decarbonised, Mr Boyce said the government had to invest in diversifying Flynn's economy, such as upgrading the Port of Gladstone to handle shipping container

"If we are to head down the road of net zero and see the coal industry come to a demise - which I am vehemently against - we need to replace the ability for the Port of Gladstone to do something else," he said.

Extending the Inland Rail route to Gladstone - which Mr Boyce has also lobbied for - would be key to upgrading the port.

"This project has been so over analysed it's not funny," Mr Boyce said.

"It would be a great thing for Central Queensland prosperity and a nation building project that should be above politics."