Council sets terms of support for $90m Warwick pipeline
THE council has delivered the terms to which it will support the State Government’s proposed southern water pipeline to Warwick.
Toowoomba
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THE Toowoomba Regional Council has delivered the terms to which it will support the State Government's proposed southern water pipeline to Warwick.
Water and waste chair Cr Rebecca Vonhoff moved the special motion at yesterday's committee meeting, with the TRC's support for the massive proposed project that was announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last year.
The conditions include that the State Government fast-track a water supply options assessment for the Darling Downs, as well as ensuring the region's own financial sustainability and water security was not compromised by the pipeline.
In speaking for the motion, Cr Vonhoff said she was empathetic of the drought situation facing the Southern Downs, which was the impetus for the project in the first place.
"What I've put forward here is what we've demonstrated a consensus for, and this needs to be a partnership between ourselves and the State Government," she said.
"I'm hopeful that this is a positive motion, because the state has been asking for parameters from us, so I hope this will help the state, help us and help Southern Downs Regional Council.
"We're good people here, we understand drought, we're empathetic to dry conditions that Southern Downs Regional Council is experiencing, because we've lived it ourselves within living memory.
"We just need to make sure that in our negotiations, we uphold our declarations to the office, which are to the people of the Toowoomba region and that we protect their interests and long-term water needs."
Mayor Paul Antonio said there were still several factors facing the project.
"The whole Southern Pipeline has been a bit of a journey, but we'll just have to see how it goes post the election," he said.
"Of course, if it rains and dams fill, we'll probably temporarily forget about it - hopefully not."
While Cr Kerry Shine supported the motion, he said it should've arrived sooner, since the State Government will soon move into caretaker mode ahead of the next election.