Pipeline key to winning our support

WHEN the city’s residents unite on an issue, Canberra takes note.

For weeks the has urged city leaders to be clear about our region’s priorities and leave our wouldbe federal politicians in no doubt as to the community’s expectations.

Last week the Townsville Water Security Taskforce report was handed over to the Federal Government.

The report recommends the immediate funding of stage two of the Haughton pipeline project. That recommendation has allowed the city’s leaders to unanimously agree that water security is our number one priority and we back the findings in that report to deliver us the solution.

So today, the along with Townsville Water Security Taskforce chair Brad Webb, leading economic development body Townsville Enterprise, the Townsville Chamber of Commerce, Water for Townsville Action Group and local residents, call on all sides of politics to back this project.

Our city calls on Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to agree to fund this key infrastructure as soon as possible.

The PM has the power to fund it now, outside of the election period so as to take it off the table as an election issue.

Mr Shorten has pledged some but not all of the money. But he needs to come up with the rest and, of course, get elected to deliver on his pledge.

This is not the only piece of infrastructure our Federal Government should fund in the region and by agreeing to pay for this other important projects in the North shouldn’t miss out.

But by virtue of the overwhelming community support for it, it’s clearly the top priority.

Mr Morrison, Mr Shorten, our city is united and we can’t be any clearer.

Fund this pipeline project or be prepared to lose votes in this electorate.