Bob Katter believes Big Rocks Weir has the potential to bring back Charters Towers meatworks
A water project in the pipeline at Charters Towers has the potential to revitalise a key industry in the region.
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A WATER project in the pipeline at Charters Towers has the potential to revitalise a key industry in the region.
Kennedy MP Bob Katter believes the Big Rocks Weir project, which the state government is currently assessing, could make a meatworks viable again in the regional town.
The Cape River Meatworks in Charters Towers opened during World War II, and closed in late 1989.
In November last year, Charters Towers Regional Council put the call out for private investors who were invested in building and operating a proposed meatworks in the town.
The Katter’s Australian Party MP believes that an extra 10,000 megalitres of water captured at the weir should be used to fatten 60,000 ox for sale in September and February each year.
“Since the demise of the Bjelke-Petersen government, Charters Towers has lost the mental health hospital and with it 200 direct and indirect jobs, more than 200 jobs in the railways, 800 jobs in four major mining operations, and a further 400 direct and indirect jobs with the closure of the Cape River Meatworks,” he said.
“I’ve commenced discussions with Charters Towers councillors and stakeholders as I believe the weir and its water needs to serve Charters Towers, rather than it being turned into a milking cow for the Queensland government. We need secondary industry, like a meatworks, to grow a town the size of Charters Towers.”
Charters Towers council hopes to have detailed design and hydrological assessment completed within eight months so construction can begin in 2023. Engineering company GHD Group was appointed by the council to design the weir.
The Penna Brothers, who have farmed alongside the Burdekin River where the Big Rocks Weir will be built since the 1990s, grow hay and potatoes.
Dominic Penna said the weir was critical for surety and security of water supply.
“The Burdekin River slows down towards the end of the year, so the weir will be able to hold and release water for farmers and the people of Charters Towers,” Mr Penna said.
“Our country can’t go ahead without water. Water is where it all starts, so the governments need to build something somewhere.”
On the other side of the river, cattleman Blair Knuth, says there is a “wonderful opportunity” to give year-round water security to Charters Towers.
“What this does is helps businesses to choose Charters Towers as a base,” he said.
“They may not need a great deal of the water, but they do need a 100 per cent guarantee of the supply in order to set up shop.”
Mr Knuth, cousin of KAP state MP Shane Knuth, said the weir would give water security towards the end of year for existing cropping and hay production areas.
“The northern cattle production system has a protein drought for at least six months of the year,” he said.
“In the old days, we’d only sell cattle during the protein rich months. We now have a 365-day selling cycle for cattle which means they need to be able to be turned off at any time and this vital infrastructure allows us to overcome the protein deficiency.”
Originally published as Bob Katter believes Big Rocks Weir has the potential to bring back Charters Towers meatworks
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