MOUNT Isa will need more water.
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And the Queensland government will look at strategies to meet this future demand, Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark Bailey promised.
Mr Bailey responded to an online petition urging the government to provide drought assistance to Mount Isa considering its shortage of water, increased water rates to ratepayers, and unprecedented blue-green algae levels reducing the daily amount of water being filtrated.
The Department of Energy and Water Supply will work with the water board and the city council to develop a Regional Water Supply Security Assessment.
“A key part of the assessment will be the achievement of a shared understanding of the water demand growth forecast and the water supply system capability to meet the identified demand,” Mr Bailey said in the two-page letter.
Mr Bailey noted the water situation had improved since the petition was first tabled by the parliament.
“The improved dam levels, new filtration plants and reduced lease costs have boosted water security for (the) Mount Isa City Council and provided financial relief to ratepayers,” Mr Bailey said.
A large amount of costs to ratepayers was due to the Mount Isa Water Board’s expenses from hiring filtration equipment and passing the $250,000 a month to the Mount Isa City Council.
“I am pleased to advise that since the petitions were tabled, the Mount Isa Water Board has negotiated changes that will represent a saving to Mount Isa City Council (MICC) of at least $1.19 million in costs being recovered through a $440 council levy,” Mr Bailey said.
“I understand that the mayor of the Mount Isa City Council has promised that the $440 water levy being paid by ratepayers is gone and that residents will see a significant reduction in water rates next financial year.”
Mr Bailey said the water board spent $9.2 million to build new filtration infrastructure, which will increase filtration capacity.
“Four out of the five planned permanent units are now online and operating well.
“Some of the leased filtration units are still in operation, bolstering water production from the permanent units but will be phased out when the remained process equipment is delivered next financial year.”
Mount Isa mayor Tony McGrady said he already discussed the contents of the letter in previous meetings with Mr Bailey.
“There’s nothing in the letter I can argue with,” Cr McGrady said.
“The government is not going to let this stagnate or (let things) stay as they were.”
Cr McGrady said the growth of Mount Isa’s water demand was brought on by increased industry opportunities for the region.
These opportunities included a proposed meatworks and any businesses attracted to the proximity of the region’s gas pipeline.
“Even the uranium industry will take off,” Cr McGrady said. He was well aware of the Labor government’s anti-uranium mining policies.
But water supply was vital for the region’s increase in industry and further planning was needed to address demand.
“Unless we make plans today for tomorrow, when tomorrow arrives we’re in all sorts of strife,” he said.