General News
7 August, 2024
North West’s water assets still a hot topic after roundtable meeting
Cloncurry and Mount Isa mayors say they are still pushing for a better outcome for ratepayers.
A shake-up of the North West’s water assets is still a possibility after a roundtable meeting with key stakeholders from Mount Isa, Cloncurry and the Queensland government’s water department.
While mayors Greg Campbell and Peta MacRae say they are not yet convinced that the North West’s water assets will end up back in the hands of ratepayers, they said they were encouraged by the conversations.
Cloncurry Shire Council and Mount Isa City Council, along with Traeger MP Robbie Katter, have been pushing for the region’s dams and pipelines to be merged into one entity – called North West Water – which would be owned and controlled by the councils.
Cr Campbell said following last week’s meeting in Mount Isa, he was still convinced North West Water was the best option, although he admitted he was open to all ideas.
“I’ve matured in my thinking to some degree,” he said.
“The entity isn’t the most important thing – the outcomes are.
“At the end of the day we want to better utilise the water in Lake Julius and get the water at a rate that is acceptable and at a volume that is acceptable so that we can meet our aspirations as a council and the state’s aspirations for the region.”
Mount Isa mayor Peta MacRae said she was pleased that Water Minister Glenn Butcher had honoured his commitment to have a meeting with his department, and while the Minister wasn’t there, said it was productive.
“I think it was a great opportunity to get all the stakeholders and decision makers in the room to understand where everyone was coming from in terms of their own organisation,” she said.
“For me it was to try and understand everyone’s challenges, understand the opportunities that people see, and to just reiterate to the government that we want better water pricing for our constituents.
“We want opportunities unlocked for industry moving forward. We see North West Water as the best way of doing that.”
The mayor said the outcome of the meeting was to establish a working party with the two councils, members of the department, and stakeholders such as Mount Isa Water Board and several of the major mining companies.
“We are hoping to get the working party established before the election,” she said.
“We hope that they are taking it seriously.
“I think our issues have been clearly articulated and they understand our problems and see that there is an issue.
“All options are going to be put on the table and we’ll evaluate the best path forward.
“But there is the political will between the state member (Robbie Katter), the mayor of Cloncurry and myself to progress North West Water.”