The North West has been given a Queensland budget boost with over $100m in funding for projects across the region.
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The biggest winner is social housing with $48.3m next financial year to expand and improve social housing in Outback Queensland.
The Kennedy Developmental Road between Hughenden and The Lynd also gets $16m in 2017-18 to pave and seal sections due for completion in January 2019.
The Strategic Blueprint for the North West Minerals Province gets $11.6m in 2017-18 for a package of new measures to “support a strong and prosperous future”. Other big items include $7.9m to improve supply reliability from Clear Water Lagoon to Mount Isa Terminal Reservoir, which will start construction of 35-megalitre operational storage tanks at Mount Isa Mines.
There is $4.8m to upgrade the mechanical plant room and system at the McKinlay multi-purpose health service (Julia Creek Hospital).
$2.2m will go to relocate and upgrade the Richmond auxiliary fire and rescue station, $2.1m to carry out a major upgrade to Mica Creek Power Station in Mount Isa and $1.6m to refurbish the Boulia Primary Health Care Centre.
The government is spending $1m out of a total $3.5m on Mount Isa replacement combined area office to construct and establish a combined area office with collocated facilities for Fire and Rescue, Rural Fire, the State Emergency Service and Emergency Management in Mount Isa to service north-western Queensland.
The government is putting $1m out of a $13m total spend to develop solar power supply for the Lake Julius system to address increases in electrical costs and secure cost-effective water supply, especially during drought periods.
Karumba’s Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre expansion gets $1.1m to create a high quality regional tourist attraction and the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program gets $840,000 each for Burketown and Normanton to protect environmental and Indigenous cultural heritage values.
In Mount Isa $794,000 will go to upgrade Spinifex State College multi-purpose hall while $789,000 will go to upgrade Mount Isa fire and rescue station providing a scientific and specialised services hub for north-western Queensland. There is $582,000 to deliver homes in Cloncurry to address a critical housing shortage and keep senior citizens living within their community.