Mayor Paul Antonio writes to Glenn Butcher seeking support for funding application for region-wide water security study

The Southern Queensland Inland and New South Wales Border Regional Water Alliance is seeking support from the State Government to help it progress plans for water security.

Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio. Picture: Nev Madsen. Thursday, 24th Oct, 2019.

Mayor Paul Antonio has written to State Minister for Water Glenn Butcher seeking his support for future funding applications made by the region’s water alliance.

The Southern Queensland Inland and New South Wales Border Regional Water Alliance, which is comprised of representatives of the Toowoomba, Western Downs, Southern Downs, Goondiwindi, Lockyer Valley and Tenterfield regional councils, is looking to apply for funding from the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.

Cr Antonio said the funding would be to complete a water study that complements the $3 million Southern and Darling Downs water security study that the State Government is currently undertaking.

He said the water alliance’s water study would be across a broader area, given the alliance spans six local government areas and the NSW/Queensland border.

In late 2019, ahead of the local government elections in March 2020, Cr Paul Antonio said Toowoomba had reached a “far more critical stage” of its water security discussion than ever before.

In October 2019, Cr Antonio and TRC CEO Brian Pidgeon visited Canberra to discuss with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack the idea of Toowoomba being at the forefront of building a national water grid.

Fast-forward a year and a half and with the establishment of the regional water alliance, that vision is a step closer.

“What we are about is strong long-term urban and general water security,” Cr Antonio wrote in his letter to Mr Butcher.

“This is how we grow the economies of our state and nation.

“As we all know, existing industries will not stay in the region and new players will not take the risk to expand capacity unless water security is certain. Sustaining and growing jobs is directly dependent on this.”

Cr Antonio said he and his mayoral colleagues would appreciate a letter of support from Mr Butcher “to help any future applications and clearly spell out that we as a state and a region are working together closely to analyse future water resources and management of our area of interest.”

He also said he hoped the water alliance would continue to grow, and would soon be in discussions with the Banana Regional Council, within whose borders sits the long-discussed idea of the Nathan Dam.

“My mayoral colleagues would like to work with your team who will have the responsibility of conducting the Darling Downs and Southern Downs water assessment to come up with a much broader view in regard to potential future water,” Cr Antonio wrote.

“Minister, a letter of support from you would certainly add considerable power to the vision my colleagues and I have to secure our water future.”