Townsville wants federal dam funds
The Queensland Government has put up over $200 million for water project, but some regional centres want more.
The Government’s budget unveiled this week includes $236 million to upgrade Burdekin Falls Dam and fund a proposed hydro-electric power station in the state’s north.
But the regional city of Townsville’s Water Taskforce says it will continue lobbying the Federal Government for water security funding, despite the large state commitment.
The Taskforce says the city needs a new gravity-fed pipeline (duplicating the existing pipeline), additional extensions, energy supply, recycled water usage and demand management.
“We will still need to get money off the Federal Government,” taskforce chair Brad Webb told News Corp.
“But this shows me that the Palaszczuk Government is really serious.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she understood Townsville’s water security issues.
“I could have put in half the money and asked [Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull] to fund the rest but water security is too important for Townsville so my government will fully invest the $225 million that is needed,” she said.
Mr Webb said exact funding figures would not be determined until after an upcoming interim report was released, but he does not “think we need too much more”.
Mr Webb said $10 million coming next financial year would be used to analyse water demand management.
“This will determine how much water is needed and what people think is fair to use,” he said.
Water for Townsville Action Group’s Linda Ashton told the Townsville Bulletin that; “We also need to know what council would do with the new infrastructure”.
“Will they revise their restrictions? Would the cost of extra pumping go into rates?
“For us it should never be worse than Level 2 restrictions, otherwise we will live with the ‘Brownsville’ tag,” she said.