Drought must top COAG list

THE state’s drought needs to be one of COAG’s highest priorities according to the Local Government Association of Queensland, with almost 3 million people now affected.

LGAQ chief executive Greg Hallam wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday, urging them to have a unified approach.

It was revealed yesterday that the drought had closed in on the southeast with a further eight councils being added to the drought declaration, including the Gold Coast, Logan and the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Hallam said it was a never before seen event.

“This never-ending, trainwreck of a disaster of a drought is really attacking the social and economic fabric of many country towns and you haven’t got to go far, 30 or 40km out of Brisbane,” he said.

Mr Hallam said the drought, which stretched “well beyond the farm door”, had seen kids talk about having to give up pets while parents were worried about not being able to afford Christmas presents.

He said pressure reduction and leakage management of reticulation systems in country towns were among ways to help reduce water consumption.

“What is missing, however, is a strategy for rural towns water supply, agreed to and supported by all three tiers of government,” he said. “This should be the highest priority for COAG and needs to occur in a spirit of collaboration … and … urgently.”

A spokesman for the Premier said Ms Palaszczuk wrote to the PM asking that drought be put on the COAG agenda, but COAG was cancelled.