Another week, another big conference in the north west.
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Last week health professionals gathered at Mount Isa’s Centre for Rural and Remote Health for the “Are You Remotely Interested” conference now this week it’s Cloncurry’s turn with the Northern Queensland Local Government Association meeting.
The NQLGA brings together councils north of Latitude 21 roughly a line north of the Flinders Hwy.
Just like last week over 100 delegates came to town so there was a knock-on economic benefit to motels, pubs and restaurants in Cloncurry this week just as Mount Isa did well last week.
It was a great opportunity for newly elected councillors across this vast region to network with like-minded others and for the old hands to renew acquaintances, all while enjoying the country hospitality that Cloncurry offered.
Host, Cloncurry Mayor Greg Campbell opened the conference, and he had a good story to tell about a town and a shire with a rich history and a prosperous future based on a solid basis of agriculture, mining and tourism.
On the agenda was important rural issues such as education in outback, better health for the bush, improving innovation and infrastructure and the organisation’s annual general meeting.
Assistant Minister for Local Government Jennifer Howard, who had earlier visited Mount Isa on a three-day tour of the north-west addressed the meeting and she was keen to show how the state was helping fund councils.
She promoted the benefits of the $180 million Significant Regional Infrastructure Projects Program which she said was a cornerstone of the State Infrastructure Fund. She said the SRIPP has funded 25 regional including $5 million for the expansion of the McKinlay Multi-Purpose Health Service in Julia Creek, plus $2 million to refurbish the Boulia Community Clinic.
She also said they were helping councils deliver priority infrastructure projects through the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program, which partially funded the Mount Isa Sewage Treatment Plant project.The $200 million in the Building Our Regions for critical infrastructure will also come in handy for cash-strapped councils.