Fight over how to spend $195m
Pollies fail to meet to kickstart projects
THE state government has been accused of attempting to delay projects in Townsville, after Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles pulled out of a meeting to discuss the long awaited $195m federal funding.
A meeting between all levels of government was scheduled for today to discuss what projects would be funded with the cash originally slated for the Haughton Pipeline.
While the state government says a scheduling conflict made the meeting impossible, federal Herbert MP Phillip Thompson believes it was an attempt to delay projects.
Mr Thompson is keen to clean up the remaining cobwebs left over from his first term to ensure he has a clean slate for the looming federal election.
He said his group of community leaders came up with seven projects to spend the money on and it has already gone through the federal government.
Now, the projects only require the tick of approval from the state and local governments.
The meeting today was expected to be the final discussion before the projects to be funded were officially revealed.
Two projects, upgrades to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and a potential new concert hall, were suggested as recipients of some of the money.
Townsville City Council and the state government have also requested the Lansdown Eco-industrial Precinct be allocated $50m.
Mr Thompson said the negotiations “hit a snag” with the state government, so an inperson meeting was proposed
to discuss projects and priorities for the region.
“Steven Miles has pulled out, he’s known about this for several weeks, and now has pulled out and given us no indication of when he would be able to meet with us again,” Mr Thompson said.
“This is a political play. What we’re seeing is the state government would rather hit us with a political point than doing the right thing that will benefit Townsville and the community.”
Mr Thompson wanted the money door”.
“I have done everything possible to give projects that have been wrapped up in a nice little bow, all they need to do is say ‘we like that’ … and we can said “out he the
get on with these projects.” He said Mr Miles and Townsville MP Scott Stewart and the state Cabinet knew what projects were proposed.
“They know what it is, this is just politics,” Mr Thompson said.
It is unclear when the three parties will meet.
Mr Miles said it had been almost 270 days since the $195m million was promised.
“If the federal government wanted to spend the money by now, they would have,” Mr Miles said.
“Why is Phillip Thompson pretending scheduling meetings has anything to do with it. Who is this bloke kidding?
“I’m more than happy to meet with the Member in Townsville, Brisbane, Canber
ra or on the phone or over Zoom.
“Our top priority, along with council, remains securing $50 million of the funding for the Lansdown Eco-industrial Precinct to create new jobs in the region.
“The federal government needs to get on with it and show us the money.”
Mr Stewart said he was bewildered that Mr Thompson had demanded the meeting two weeks before the federal budget. “The Deputy Premier stood up at a breakfast with Townsville’s leading business people last month and told the breakfast, which Phil Thompson was at, that some of this funding should be spent on the Lansdown Eco-industrial Precinct,” he said.