Water win for region
THE federal government has caved to internal pressure, and will move the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority out of Canberra.
North Queensland-based LNP politicians laid the pressure on thick for the government to move the water authority to the region after revelations all full-time staff were based in Canberra.
In October last year, there was only one part-time employee based in Townsville, despite the authority’s main projects being Hells Gate Dam, Big Rocks Weir and the Hughenden irrigation projects.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce announced on Friday that the authority would be relocating to Bowen.
Herbert MP Phillip Thompson, Dawson MP George Christensen, Senator Susan Mcdonald and Senator Matt Canavan all pushed for the authority to move to the region it supports.
Mr Joyce said Bowen was a strategic location, given its proximity to the proposed Urannah Dam, the Big Rocks Weir Project and the future Hells Gates Dam.
“North Queensland is also where we will start on the long-term nationbuilding task of expanding irrigated agriculture by moving a portion of the abundant resource of water west,” Mr Joyce said.
“The authority will become a bigger organisation, with the people and skills to realise the economic transformation of North Queensland. This expanded organisation will have the task of delivering my strategy of moving water from where it is plentiful, to open up new opportunities for agriculture in the west.”
Mr Thompson said moving the authority was one of the first things he spoke to Mr Joyce about following the Nationals leadership spill.
“It was a fight to get it out of Canberra, to get it to the North where it needs to be,” Mr Thompson said.
“Anything that says North
Queensland, or North anything, shouldn’t be based in the south.”
The move is expected to help open up agricultural opportunities in inland North Queensland communities.
Retiring Dawson MP Mr Christensen said the move would create good jobs in the Bowen region.
“This will stimulate flow-on jobs later down the track – making this a truly exciting time for North Queensland,” Mr Christensen said.
Special Envoy for Northern Australia Senator Mcdonald said she would continue to advocate for the decentralisation of government offi
ces. “Bowen’s diverse cropping and its location close to the Burdekin catchment area and the proposed Urannah Dam make it ideal home for this type of office,” Ms Mcdonald said.
“If the office staff need a question answered or to see how water can benefit farming, they can just drive a few minutes to Delta or Bootooloo Rd and actually ask a farmer.
“One of the keys I continually point towards as a way to grow regional populations is creating stable, good-paying jobs and I’m really pleased to see this happening in Bowen.”