Cairns water security: Massive ratepayer cost revealed if funding bid fails

It was an ultimatum that would make any self-respecting Cairns homeowner’s tongue shrivel in horror – either fork out extra cash in rates or put the city in jeopardy of screeching to a dehydrated halt. JOIN THE CONVERSATION

IT WAS an ultimatum that would make any self-respecting Cairns homeowner’s tongue shrivel in horror – either fork out an extra $3000 in rates or put the city in jeopardy of screeching to a dehydrated halt.

That is the impending reality if Cairns Regional Council cannot score $215m to start building a critical water security project by 2024, as the who’s-who of Far North business now know.

Mayor Bob Manning and the council’s executive project officer Nick Massasso delivered a call to arms at the Cairns Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon at Crystalbrook Collection’s Riley hotel on Tuesday.

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They pleaded with the city to unite behind a plan to build a new facility to take water directly from the Mulgrave River south of Gordonvale, pump it to a treatment plant on Draper Rd and send it across the city.

The city faces potential water crises from 2026 if work does not start within three years – and Cr Manning said it was Cairns' time for a fair go given massive recent state and federal investment in other water projects across the country.

Mr Massasso laid out a bleak list of options if the upper-tier governments were not convinced to get on board.

“Let’s say we don’t get the funding for the project from the state or federal governments. How do we do it then? Because it needs to be done,” he began.

He said the council would have to take out more debt – the equivalent of $3000 per ratepayer – and pay it back through increased rates, cut services and slashing capital spending.

“They’re all not very nice choices … and our argument would be that why should we have to choose?” Mr Massasso said.

The project has been on the council’s books for decades – since at least 1994 – but is reaching fever pitch as the 2026 crisis point draws near.

Mr Massasso said the scheme already had regulatory approvals, the council had bought the land, done preliminary planning, carried out hydrology and hydraulic studies and had everything ready to go.

If a business case was demanded, it would be a relatively simple but time-consuming matter of moulding the decades of data into the right template.

“We’re asking you all to get behind this particular project as our city’s number one priority, and show all levels of government that it really is time to start turning the funding tap on for Cairns,” he said.

Originally published as Cairns water security: Massive ratepayer cost revealed if funding bid fails