Far North’s wish list made known
AN upgrade of the Kuranda Range road, water security, expansion of the National Land Transport Network and the future of the Mossman Mill are among the wish list items mayors and chief executives from across the Far North have prioritised ahead of the upcoming federal election.
Cook Shire Council Mayor Peter Scott led the Far North Queensland Regional of Councils (FNQROC) delegation to Canberra to deliver the region’s pre-election wish list to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
FNQROC chairman and Mareeba Shire Mayor Tom Gilmore said the purpose of the delegation was to advocate as a united voice.
“This delegation provides FNQROC with an opportunity to meet with over 20 elected members and nine policy advisers to remind them of who we are, who we represent and advocate for the agreed priorities for the region that are important for growth,” he said.
“With an election poised for May, this is the most effective way of engaging all our members in a short time frame to get our collective messages across to both sides of parliament.”
While Mr Gilmore was unable to attend the delegation, he was simply thrilled that the group had met with Mr Morrison.
“We will continue to have two delegations a year to both Canberra and Brisbane to ensure our community represented by local government is recognised and our priorities are understood,” he said.
“It is imperative we continue to operate on behalf of our communities, so priorities are considered for state and federal annual budgets.
“As remote local government areas in Australia, we are determined to no longer simply be passengers in representing the people and we will continue robust dialogue with government and opposition well into the future.”