Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in this place today to speak about a very important issue for the electorate of Herbert, and that is water security. The Ross River Dam, which was actually built as a flood mitigation strategy, is not a dam and is now at 17 per cent. We are on level 3 water restrictions and, for the largest city in northern Australia, that is simply unacceptable.

This situation is unacceptable as the Burdekin Falls Dam is approximately 130 kilometres down the road. This was built by the Hawke Labor government as a result of strong local representation by the last federal Labor member for Herbert, Ted Lindsay. The Burdekin Falls Dam is five times the size of Sydney Harbour.

Addressing water security for Townsville is key to our future growth and development, it is key to industry investment and key to population growth. And, after 20 years of LNP representation and inaction in Herbert, we still do not have any further action on water security.

On the 16 November 2016, the Townsville City Council began pumping water from the Burdekin Falls Dam as the city's water supply had dropped below the 15 per cent trigger point. Pumping water costs the council approximately $27,000 a day to send the water along the Haughton pipeline and into the Ross River Dam. It is the first time the pump has been used in 10 years. It was last used in 2006 when the dam level dropped below five per cent; this was during the Howard government. Ten years on, under the Turnbull government, Townsville is still pumping water from the Burdekin Falls Dam and still there is no water security plan for Townsville from the federal government.

It is important to understand that, even with the pumping, between 20 and 40 megalitres of the 130 megalitres pumped will be lost through evaporation at very low dam levels, meaning the level of the Ross River Dam will continue to fall. The city will still need water restrictions in place until it rains to see us through the drought.

The Turnbull government has announced around $500 million for a water infrastructure fund, which is in fact a concessional loan scheme. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Water Resources is constantly boasting about the fact that he is committed to building water infrastructure, and still nothing for Townsville. Just last week, he visited Townsville and still not a mention of a commitment to water security.

I am here to pick up where Ted Lindsay left off, and that is to send a very loud and clear message to the Turnbull government: Townsville does not want your cockatoo service, we do not want your hollow words, we do not want your concessional loans; we want your commitment to fund water security for Townsville.

The total lack of action regarding water security has cost the Townsville economy, local businesses and local jobs. On behalf of the U-Bute Turf Farm, Water for Townsville Action Group, our tourism industry, our local council and, more importantly, the residents of Townsville, I stand here today demanding that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Water Resources takes immediate and real action to address water security for the people of Townsville.

See this speech in context