MP says Hells Gates not water supply fix

THE ECONOMIC benefits of a dam at Hells Gates should not be confused with longterm water security for Townsville, according to the region’s representatives.

Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole welcomed the findings of a feasibility study into the Hells Gates Irrigation Scheme, but said the proposal was not an alternative to the second phase of the Burdekin Dam project.

“The two are separate but related projects … they are cer- tainly not mutually exclusive, so we don’t want to get into a one- or- the- other battle,” she said.

“I think it needs to be made very clear to the community that the Hells Gates dam is a project that will develop agriculture regionally but it will not initially deliver for Townsville’s long- term water security.”

Ms O’Toole said she hoped the Federal Government would match Labor’s $ 100 million contribution to implement the findings of the Townsville Water Taskforce report, due at the end of September.

“The duplication of the Haughton pipeline gives us five to 10 years of security, stage two is 50 to 60 years and Hells Gates is a down- thetrack project that will deliver water for growing of food and crops,” she said.

“The fact is we are the largest city in Northern Australia and we have had water issues for decades, this should be about what is in the best interest of the region. Labor has come to the table and we need Treasurer Scott Morrison to do the same.”

A summary of the project’s feasibility study shows the project would generate about $ 1.2 billion in household income and create 12,647 full- time equivalent jobs during construction.

The expansive water scheme would be expected to enable up to 50,000ha of irrigated agriculture and provide long- term water security for Townsville and Charters Towers.

Ms O’Toole said Labor would closely examine the Hells Gates feasibility study when it was handed down.

“It’s important that we look at how we will generate food – food, water and clean air are crucial to the survival of the Earth,” she said.

Meanwhile, Kennedy MP Bob Katter said he was worried the current Hells Gates dam proposal was a “truncated” version of his proffered Upper Burdekin Irrigation Scheme, which included 120,000ha of agricultural land. “There’s no way you’re going to make money off 50,000ha of opportunity farming,” Mr Katter said.

“And we don’t want to be just producing raw product, we want downstream processing, commodities like ethanol biodiesel are where the money is.

Mr Katter said he also didn’t think Hells Gates could be seen as a source of water security for Townsville in the short term.

“My understanding is that it would be $ 790 million to get water to Townsville, you’ll never be able to pay that in a million years, you’d never be able to service the debt,” he said.