Was the government was ever serious about floodproofing Bundaberg?

Opinion: “It is all beginning to appear as a political football for the current State Government and will only be kicked around again when the next election is imminent.”

Minister for Local Government Stirling Hinchliffe announce a $42.5 million commitment for the Bundaberg East flood levee with Labor candidate Tom Smith earlier this year. Photo: Geordi Offord

After reading and watching local news yesterday and as a resident of East Bundaberg for many years and witnessing the 2013 floods first-hand I have a couple of questions for the Community Reference Group and the new Member for Bundaberg.

Can they please explain how this proposed levee wall will protect lives when those most at risk in 2013 were in North Bundaberg and this wall has the potential to make things worse for them?

To my knowledge very few, if any, lives were endangered in South and East Bundaberg in 2013.

It was in 2015 when they promised to floodproof Bundaberg but after 8 years of deliberation they could only muster up maybe half of the cost of one of the cheapest options and this was only announced as part of an election campaign.

This makes me wonder if the Government was ever serious about floodproofing Bundaberg.

There is a constant call from the proponents of the wall for the Federal Government to come to the table now, with their half of the money.

Why did I read recently that the State Government has only pledged approx. $7m in the 21/22 financial year, $17m the following year and $17m the following year?

It is all beginning to appear as a political football for the current State Government and will only be kicked around again when the next election is imminent.

Len Reif, East Bundaberg