‘Serious problem’: Water funding to test Cairns mayor Amy Eden’s lobbying skills

Cairns mayor Amy Eden will face her first major test in the hot seat, with ratepayers set to be slugged an extra $488 each year for the city’s overdue water security project if new funding can’t be secured.

Cairns Mayor Amy Eden chaired her first council ordinary meeting at the council chambers earlier this week. Picture: Brendan Radke

Ratepayers will be slugged an extra $488 each year if Cairns mayor Amy Eden fails to secure funding for the city’s overdue water security infrastructure from the state and Federal government.

An extra $257m must be sourced to pay for critical works allowing access to “new water” from the Mulgrave River, with improved treatment processes increasing the volumes sourced from Behana Creek.

Cairns Regional Council Division 1 councillor Brett Moller says Cairns residents had reduced their water usage drastically in recent years. Picture: Brendan Radke

The $472m project has faced cost blowouts and delays but Division One councillor Brett Moller said bolstering the city’s water security must remain its top priority.

“If we don’t attract the state and Federal government funding that is required then it will fall to our residents and ratepayers (to pay for this),” Mr Moller said.

“We’ve reduced our water usage by 35 percent in the last 17 years. So the residents … are doing their bit and where we sit in terms of per capita use compared to other regional cities in Queensland, our residents are conserving water.”

Deputy mayor Brett Olds attends his first council ordinary meeting since being voted back in at the local government election in March. Picture: Brendan Radke

The region had been left short changed for a decade when it came to infrastructure funding, deputy mayor Brett Olds said.

“The state government over the last 10 years has given Townsville $1.23bn more than the ratepayers up here in our region,” Mr Olds said.

“They have given Toowoomba $1.25bn more than us. They have given central Queensland $4.3bn more than us.

“If you say we’re asking too much of the state, no we’re not.

“Our taxes pay for stadiums in Townsville, new dams in central Queensland. So, I don’t have any issues asking for this because our ratepayers need and deserve it.”

Cairns Regional Council Division 3 councillor Cathy Zeiger says residents face a massive rate hike if the state and federal government don’t back its water security project. Picture: Brendan Radke

Rising pressure on ratepayers meant it was critical for the mayor to effectively lobby on behalf of council, Division 3 councillor Cathy Zeiger said.

“We are all behind this,” Ms Zeiger said. “In 2026 we’re going to have a serious problem if we can’t get this happening.

“$488 would be the savings given to our ratepayers per year if we get this funding.

“When you talk about cost of living, if we can save our ratepayers that kind of money, that is vital.”

Under the Local Government Act, the mayor and chief executive must “finalise any and all matters relating to … Council’s advocacy activities” in relation to securing funding for the water security project.

Ms Eden accepted former chief executive Mica Martin’s resignation last month. Christine Posgate is the council’s current acting CEO with the search for the city’s next top executive underway.

Without access to safe drinking water, “a wide range of Council’s plans, projects and initiatives are likely to be severely compromised” a report prepared by council said.

Originally published as ‘Serious problem’: Water funding to test Cairns mayor Amy Eden’s lobbying skills