Water crisis result of neglect

IT was with interest and concern that I read in the Sunday Mail ( 19/ 02) Barnaby’s Big Cash Giveaway.

Barnaby Joyce despairingly laments being unable to influence Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to avail her state to available water conservation funding.

This money from the National Water Development Fund and the $ 2 billion National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility, is to encourage the states to construct much needed new dams.

In response, the Premier deflects the question regarding this available funding and totally avoids addressing this important issue and was careful not to even mention water conservation or available funding.

If I had to draw any conclusion it was that the Premier was seemingly avoiding to ar- ticulate a clear commitment to access this water infrastructure funding.

With Labor having governed Queensland for 17 out of the past 20 years, the primary reason that Townsville is in such a dire situation water wise is purely because of past political neglect and I suspect this situation to regrettably continue for some time to come. RON BENNETT,

Aitkenvale.