TSIRC Mayor Phillemon Mosby slams government for being ignored in federal budget
A remote Far North Queensland council claims its critical infrastructure including airports and seaports are at risk after missing out on vital funding from the federal government.
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A remote Far North Queensland council claims its critical infrastructure including airports and seaports are at risk after missing out on vital funding from the federal government.
Torres Strait Island Regional Council was one of 77 Queensland councils who missed out on funding for community liveability and safety in the latest budget.
TSIRC Mayor Phillemon Mosby said council would have used funding to continue to deliver services across the region, and maintain infrastructure.
“A lot of the infrastructure we’re dealing with now is reaching its end of life, it’s 35 years old,” Mr Mosby said.
“For a non-rateable council with not much revenue coming in, it costs an arm and a leg to deliver services to our community, let alone replace our assets.”
Mr Mosby said infrastructure services in need of an upgrade included water mains, water pipes, waste water treatment plants, road upgrades and maintenance of airports and seaports.
“They were designed and built 30 years ago and they don’t meet compliance today,” he said.
TSIRC CEO James William said the government needed to stop ignoring some of the most remote parts of the country, especially Indigenous Australians.
“Our ageing assets are a significant challenge and the service system is fatigued because we continue to be an essential provider of local and non-local government services,” he said.
“So the challenge for us is competing for our fair share of the money to deliver the services that the community continues to demand and we have to deliver.”
Mr William said he wanted to partner with state and federal governments to bridge the gap with Papua New Guinea.
“We understand in our region it’s necessary to work strategically to ensure those benefits are delivered so we can improve the liveability of customers on the ground,” he said.
Mr William said it was important to sustain and maintain the region from an international standpoint, with the Torres Strait closely bordering PNG.
“Our region is the only one in this country facing an international border, so maintenance of these communities is vital because of their presence in international relations with another sovereign nation … that’s a powerful thing,” he said.
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Originally published as TSIRC Mayor Phillemon Mosby slams government for being ignored in federal budget
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