Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the key commitments I made before being elected to this House was $200 million in funding for stage 2 of the Haughton pipeline. That funding was contingent on a business case, something that was publicly ridiculed by then mayor Jenny Hill, her Labor 'Team Hill' councillors, the three Townsville based state Labor MPs and the Labor state government. Today it is the biggest disaster of public works projects in the history of our city. Almost 10 years ago, Townsville's main water source, the Ross River Dam, reached dangerous lows of 14 per cent. A water security taskforce was set up and determined that a new pipeline should be built to pump water from the Burdekin dam.

Stage 1 received funding and support and was completed in 2020, yet not a single drop of water has flown through it. That's because in 2019 the federal coalition committed a further $200 million for stage 2 of the project, which would take the pipeline from halfway to the Burdekin to all the way. Building stage 2 immediately after stage 1 was supposed to save tens of millions of dollars. Unfortunately, Labor mayor Jenny Hill and the state Labor government decided to be politic and refused to accept the federal funding based on a lie about the funding's potential effect on Queensland's GST allocation. They had a bells-and-whistles press conference to announce they'd fund the project without federal funds.

Twelve months later it was announced that the disastrous decision had led to lengthy delays and a $79 million cost blowout to be footed by Townsville ratepayers. Now, three years later, the maladministration of ratepayer funds is far worse than anyone ever imagined. Two weeks ago I wrote to Townsville's acting mayor and former team Hill councillor Paul Jacob to provide me with an urgent briefing on the project. The silence has been deafening, with not even a mention in the council budget last week.

Several whistleblowers from Townsville City Council have now taken matters into their own hands and contacted me with information. That includes evidence of a council document which shows our community has been lied to. The information provided to me shows a project cost increase from $179.6 million to over $420 million—more than 133 per cent—as well as a project completion blowout of more than four years. The key reason for this disastrous disgrace is identified as the refusal from team Labor to accept federal funding when it was offered. Adding further insult to injury, I also understand a costly consultant has now been on the books for almost two years to identify ways to mop up Labor's disastrous mess, which includes putting out the begging bowl to Queensland and federal governments for an additional $146 million.

I urgently call on Townsville city councillors, state Labor MPs and the state Labor government to explain to the people of Townsville why they should not resign immediately and why a full investigation should not be conducted.