Cairns water security federal funding poised to become election campaign topic
Outstanding funding for Cairns’ Water Security Project is poised to become a federal election campaign topic for a second time with all parties holding their cards close to their chest.
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LNP’s candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal says he will fight for an $87.5m commitment for the Cairns’ Water Security project, claiming both sides of politics have enough information to make a decision.
In the lead-up to the 2022 federal election, the project was costed at $248m with the ALP and LNP pledging $107.5m, and the state government matching it.
In July, three months out from the state election, the Miles government increased its stake to $195m.
According to the Cairns Regional Council, failing to attract the extra funding will likely increase rates by $403 per year over 15 years.
While in Cairns on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remained firm he required “business cases and proper proposals”.
He claimed in the six months since, he hadn’t yet received the necessary information to make a confident decision to tip in further money towards the $472m project, already under construction.
But the LNP’s candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal said it was difficult to believe the federal government hadn’t received the necessary information, if he, as an Opposition candidate, was being regularly updated.
“Council has sent me endless information, we’ve already received enough information to promise the $107.5m, in the past,” Mr Neal said.
“The council has given me one-on-one updates, anytime there’s a change, that change is sent through to me as a candidate.
“I’m sitting down with them next week to tour the site, they approach me for all of these things so I highly doubt they (the government) didn’t receive enough information, when I’m receiving this as the opposition candidate.
“I really hope he (Mr Albanese) can find the information because I believe it would have been sent through, based on what the council has been sending me.”
Mr Neal said while he too was campaigning for water security funding, no pledge had been made by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Despite this, Mr Neal said he was hopeful additional funds would be included in this current government’s next possible budget.
On Tuesday Cairns Regional Council was asked if it had provided the additional information the Prime Minister was requiring.
“Following the Prime Minister’s comments, we will reach out to his office and the relevant department to confirm if there’s anything further that council can provide to assist with their decision,” Mayor Amy Eden said.
“Council has been working closely with the Prime Minister’s office, Senator Nita Green, relevant federal ministers and the relevant department (Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water) for many months on our request for funds to match the State Government’s commitment.”
While no federal election date has been set, it has been tipped for mid-April or early May, with a possibility of a March date — however that would clash with the Western Australia state election.
The next federal budget is set to be handed down on March 25.
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Originally published as Cairns water security federal funding poised to become election campaign topic
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