The Cloncurry Council have some massive capital works happening at the moment.
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Stage two of Sheaffe Street is getting the finishing touches and stage three has been awarded. I am very happy with how the street has improved and it will be great when the whole job is finished.
The detailed planning has started on the replacement of Carl Katter Bridge and the most practical method is being considered. The construction schedule for the upgrade of Florence Clarke Park is being confirmed and the project is progressing well. Overall, the council annually commits 10’s of millions of dollars on capital works on the maintenance of our assets.
In the corporate world, Glencore and MMG have invested about one billion dollars each in the EHM and Dugald River projects over the past few years. These two projects alone are directly or indirectly supporting thousands upon thousands of jobs, primarily in Townsville and Brisbane.
My point is, when the council and mining companies heavily invest in the area that both state and federal governments benefit, it raises the question, where is the investment from them?
For all the positivity and potential the area has, not to mention the wealth already being generated, the government investment hasn’t been anywhere near enough.
A recent example is our experience with The Regional Growth Fund (RGF). The RGF is a $300 million federal fund aimed at transformational projects which support long-term economic growth, create jobs and liveability in regions undergoing structural adjustment. The key projects I had earmarked for the funding included the upgrade of John Flynn Place, showground and amenities, Florence Clark Park, sewage treatment plant upgrades, improved streetscapes and a new housing subdivision.
The federal government did not move our application through to the expression of interest stage, making any funding unlikely. The Cloncurry liveability project would have delivered great benefits for local people (old and new), visitors and the environment.
Of the 16 projects to be successful, very few, if any, were located inland. If the north has any chance of growing and delivering the huge potential here, our governments need to show the strength and vision of our councils, mines and businesses. State and federal capital is the enabler for growth and it needs to flow quickly.
