- The Miles Government has convened a high-level roundtable on Wednesday 31 July to examine North West Water infrastructure
- The government will continue to work with North West Councils to deliver water infrastructure
- $5 million funding to deliver nine water infrastructure projects through the Building our Regions program
- $7 million in 2024-25 to subsidise the cost of providing drinking water to Cloncurry.
- $2.8 million in dividends paid to Mount Isa City Council from Mount Isa Water Board in 2022-23
A high-level roundtable has been held in Mount Isa today [July 31] to examine ways to tackle the cost of providing drinking water to the North-West.
The roundtable, hosted by the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water, looks at water management and the existing water supply arrangements in place between Mount Isa, Cloncurry and North-West communities.
Mount Isa City Council, Cloncurry Shire Council, the Mount Isa Water Board, Sunwater and the Member for Traeger have been invited to attend the roundtable.
The 2024-25 Queensland state budget included $7.9 million to improve Mount Isa Water Board's water infrastructure, including electricity upgrades at Lake Julius and renewing the Fred Haigh Pump Station.
The State Government continues to support North-West Councils with water infrastructure, with $5 million provided through Building our Regions for nine projects.
This includes Cloncurry Shire Council's Electro Chlorination Project and planning work for Mount Isa City Council's sewer system to the Ryan Road industrial area and the Camooweal Water Treatment Plant.
The roundtable comes on the back of the Miles Government's record package of cost of living relief in the recent state budget, including $1,000 energy bill rebates for all Queenslanders.
As stated by Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher:
"We are a government that is listening and delivering for all Queenslanders.
"When I met the new Mayor of Mount Isa recently, I committed to organising a roundtable, to bring together key stakeholders to look at ways we can work together to tackle water prices in Mount Isa and the North West.
"We are a government that is rolling-out unprecedented cost of living relief, like our $1,000 energy bill rebates this financial year, so I will always be open to looking at ways we can lower household bills for Queenslanders.
"I'm open to considering ideas to further help Mount Isa and North West residents with the cost of water.
"If the LNP were in power, water prices would be higher, there'd be cuts at Sunwater and Mount Isa Water Board – and Council would have less money from the state to help them with the cost of water supply.
"When the LNP were last in government they had plans drawn up to sell-off Sunwater's pipelines business.
"So instead of the vital water pipelines between Lake Julius and Cloncurry owned by Queenslanders, they'd be flogged off to the private sector under the LNP.
"Queensland Labor has rolled-out around $5 million for North West water projects, that is money Councils don't have to pass on to their ratepayers as rates or water charges."
Background
Mount Isa Water Board (MIWB) is responsible for supplying bulk water to industrial customers and drinking water to Mount Isa City Council and is the trustee for Lake Moondarra. Fifty per cent of dividends and tax equivalent payments from MIWB are returned to Mount Isa City Council each year. In 2022-23, Council received $2.8 million in dividends through this arrangement.
Mount Isa's drinking water primarily comes from Lake Moondarra, with access to water from Lake Julius when storage levels at Lake Moondarra are low.
Queensland Labor delivered the 38-kilometre pipeline that supports Cloncurry's drinking water supply in 2010.
As part of the package to deliver the pipeline, which is a branch of the 110-kilometre North West Queensland Water Pipeline from Ernest Henry Mine, the Queensland Government subsidises the cost of drinking water to the Cloncurry community, this subsidy totalled $7 million in 2024-25.
