Mayor Joyce McCulloch was delighted to welcome a delegation from Barkly Regional Council in the Northern Territory on Friday, December 7 for a Tennant Creek-Mount Isa Cross-Border Commission meeting.
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The meetings are held four times a year, with Friday’s meeting attended by Barkly Regional Council Mayor Steven Edgington, Deputy Mayor Kris Civitarese and staffers.
Attendees also met with upcoming LNP Senator for Queensland, Susan McDonald.
The Cross-Border Commission meeting aimed to progress projects, such as the proposed Mount Isa to Tennant Creek Railway Project which aims to link the existing Adelaide-Darwin and Mount Isa-Townsville lines.
The Commission was established in 2017 to bolster economic development opportunities and job creation in northern Australia.
Cr McCulloch said the two councils proposed to develop a federal election platform highlighting economic issues affecting the two regions to be presented to federal government ministers, opposition and independent MPs in Canberra next year.
“The election platform will outline who we are, what we are about and a chart of our objectives,” Cr McCulloch said. “Our priority is that we are well prepared and provide a document that highlights how the two councils are working collaboratively to develop the economy of the corridor, including expanding investments in energy, roads, rail, agriculture, water and tourism.”
She said Tennant and Isa successfully lobbied for the Northern Gas Pipeline which was officially opened on Friday and the Cross-Border Commission was the perfect way to formalise those close ties.
Cr Edgington said the election platform was an opportunity to highlight shared priorities. “Our two councils have developed a strong collaborative partnership to actively pursue tourism, infrastructure, gas supply and a rail link between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa,” Cr Edgington said.
They also discussed a National Freight Strategy, the proposed Mount Isa Transport and Logistics Centre, and their Cross-Border Commission Forward Strategy.
They also had a teleconference with NT and federal governments representatives to outline goals and ideas.
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