Cairns water security and Kuranda Range funding ‘looked at’ by Federal Government

Two years ago funding for Cairns’ water security infrastructure was a bipartisan federal election commitment but now it’s just one of many projects around the country being “looked at”.

Behana Gorge, south of Gordonvale, is the secondary source of drinking water for Cairns. The city is need of new infrastructure to meet its growing demand. Picture: Brendan Radke

Two years ago funding for Cairns’ water security infrastructure was a bipartisan federal election commitment but now it’s just one of many projects around the country being “looked at” by the federal government.

In a visit to Cairns on Wednesday to announce $35m for a TAFE centre of excellence, treasurer Jim Chalmers defended his government’s decision in its most recent budget not to increase its funding commitment on top of a previously locked-in $107.5m to expand Cairns’ water supply.

The critical project was originally budgeted for $248m but ballooned to $472m as a result of inflationary pressures, prompting the state government to invest another $87.5m on top of its earlier $107.5m joint commitment with the federal government.

Unlike his Labor colleague senator Nita Green, Mr Chalmers did not call on the Cairns Regional Council “to explain why they are asking for additional funding” and “be honest” about the project, rather noting that many local government projects around the country had fallen into the inflation trap with costs blowing out.

Behana Gorge, south of Gordonvale, is the secondary source of drinking water for Cairns. The city is need of new infrastructure to meet its growing demand, but recently had its federal funding pulled. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Indeed, a big part of the budget that we handed down in May is to try and accommodate some of these cost blowouts,” Mr Chalmers said.

“We’re aware of that issue with the water infrastructure.

“And unfortunately, it’s one of the number of projects right around the country where the costs are higher than were initially assumed and estimated.

“And so we’re working through that with the state government, the local government here, but in other areas around the country too.”

Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers visited Cairns noting his government was “looking at” infrastructure priorities but fell short of any fiscal commitments. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Cairns Deputy Mayor Brett Olds wasn’t disheartened by Mr Chalmer’s comments labelling it as a “half win”.

“If it was halfway into their term, it might have felt like (a low priority),” Cr Olds said.

“But they do have an election coming up, and they do have a country to make promises around so the fact they didn’t say an outright no is promising.

“Politicians will always look for the easiest way out but the treasurer was willing to talk about it so I think they’ll do the right thing. I’ve got faith.”

The treasurer was also asked about his government’s budgeting of $210m towards Kuranda Range upgrades, of which only $5m has been allocated to “plan for construction phases” and whether money from that pool would be made available for a widely-supported “alternative route study”.

“We’re aware obviously, of the calls of the local groups (for a study),” he said, while insisting the federal minister for transport Catherine King was responsible for “working through those kinds of suggestions and those plans”.

Traffic driving on the stretch of Kennedy Highway between Smithfield and Kuranda, better know as the Kuranda Range Road. Heavy vehicles including trucks, buses and caravans, as well as cars frequently use the roadway. Picture: Brendan Radke

While Advance Cairns and Leichhardt MP Warren Enstch were in support of an alternative route study, Bridle Track Tunnel advocate Kennedy MP Bob Katter blasted the thought of “yet another study”.

“To fool around with $20m when there is only one answer to that question is mind boggling,” he said.

“If you go north of the proposed Bridle Track route – you end up in mountains and jungle. If you go south of that route – you end up in mountains and jungle. The Bridle Track is open scrub country.

“Instead, they are doing what Government has done for the last 25 years, and undertaking yet another study to justify a total lack of vision and action.”

Queensland Transport Minister Bart Mellish last week said he would be calling for the available funds to be directed towards resilience of the current road including “improving some corners, turns” and “extra guard rails.”

Originally published as Cairns water security and Kuranda Range funding ‘looked at’ by Federal Government