Cairns water security: Labor vows to back water projects that ‘stack up’, want detailed proposal
Both the state and federal Labor governments have vowed to support a crucial Cairns water security proposal if all boxes are ticked, as Mayor Bob Manning declared his council is ‘starting to lose faith’.
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BOTH the state and federal Labor governments have vowed to support crucial Cairns water security proposal if it “stacks up”, as Mayor Bob Manning doubled down on his frustration at the red tape hindering its progress.
Queensland Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher, said his government is still waiting on a “detailed business case” from the Cairns Regional Council outlining their $215m Cairns Water Security Project, a claim Cr Manning has slammed as a “bureaucratic rabbit hole”.
Cr Manning said his council “was a child who is starting to lose faith in their parents” after “getting the run around” from both the state and federal governments.
“For a project this critical – remember we’re talking about drinking water here, a basic human right, not a discretionary luxury – surely it’s time to put the politics to one side and for the State and Federal Government to come together and say Cairns has a need?” he said.
Minister Butcher said the Far North council should be asking the federal Liberal government why they were making commitments to water projects in other parts of the state and not Cairns, despite “outstanding business cases and approvals” such as the $4.5b Hells Gates Dam proposal.
“Cairns Regional Council is currently preparing a detailed business case and I have always said that we will be happy to look at it once it’s complete,” he said.
“Including considering what level of financial assistance may be appropriate, to assist the Council in fulfilling its obligations in relation to provision of urban water supply for Cairns.”
Labor’s Shadow Environment and Water Minister Terri Butler, in response to a call from Cr Manning to state their position on Cairns water security ahead of the election, said they are “open to water infrastructure projects that stack up.”
She also slammed federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch for his claims the Palaszczuk Government had let the Cairns urban water supply crisis reach boiling point “by ignoring it for 14 years.”
“Warren Entsch’s attempt to blame the state government is taken right out of the playbook of Scott Morrison, and distracts from the fact he hasn’t been able to deliver for Cairns and the region for the better part of two decades,” Ms Butler said.
“The Morrison-Joyce Government haven’t considered water security across Australia. They have had a decade to do this and they have failed.”
Labor candidate for Leichhardt, Elida Faith, also had a swing at the PM’s recent trip to Cairns, saying she was “listening to my community” on water security concerns.
“Scott Morrison came to town and said nothing about water security,” she said.
“Any project that stacks up I’ll be fighting for.”
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Originally published as Cairns water security: Labor vows to back water projects that ‘stack up’, want detailed proposal
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