Up to $22 million secured for North West Queensland community infrastructure projects

Funding will help deliver projects such as a Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) of Australia aeromedical facility at Mount Isa Airport, upgrades to RACQ's LifeFlight helicopter services, an early learning centre in Cloncurry, a children's services hub in Julia Creek and an upgrade to the Mount Isa Splashez Aquatic Centre.

The grants came as part of the second round of the $100 million Resources Community Infrastructure Fund (RCIF), funded jointly by the Queensland Resources Council and the State Government.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the grants would help fund much needed upgrades to the region's health, education and recreational services.

"North West Queensland is the big winner in this round of funding, with over half the funding being granted to Mount Isa, Julia Creek, and Cloncurry," he said.

Access to health services are set to be boosted in the region with a combined $11 million handed to the RFDS and LifeFlight Australia for an aeromedical base at Mount Isa Airport.

RFDS will get $6.9 million to establish the facility which will feature four hangars, patient-transfer facilities, nurses' stations, offices, staff kitchen, accommodation and maintenance facilities.

LifeFlight Australia also received $3.9 million for upgrades to its Mount Isa helicopter services and a hangar co-located with the RFDS aeromedical base to enhance coordination of services.

RFDS CEO Meredith Staib said the funding will help deliver improved facilities for patients and an "enhanced working environment for medical staff, pilots and ground crew".

"Vitally, the new facility will ensure we're able to continue to deliver the very best medical care to communities right across the region, including via our emergency retrieval and inter-hospital transfer service," she said.

LifeFlight Australia CEO Ashley van de Velde said the airport facility will help "bring vital aeromedical retrieval services" to North West and Central West Queensland.

"This purpose-built facility will bolster our capability and ensure we are able to meet increasing demand for a fully integrated fixed and rotary wing emergency care response capacity in this vast region," she said.

Construction of the facility is expected to start in early 2023.

Funding for a children's services hub in Julia Creek and an early learning centre in Cloncurry are expected to address critical needs for additional childcare services in the two towns.

Cloncurry Shire Council Mayor Greg Campbell said keeping up with community growth was critical for continued economic development.

"Staffing will continue to be an ongoing challenge, the RCIF grant allows us to build a modern fit-for-purpose facility and we will continue to support and grow our workforce in preparation for the opening of an amazing new facility," Cr Campbell said.

McKinlay Shire Council Mayor Phillip Curr said the Julia Creek children's services hub would include a consultation room for allied health services which would improve access to children's health care.

"The hub will include indoor and outdoor play areas, a sleeping area for babies, kitchen, store rooms, administration offices and amenities as well as the allied health services consultation room," he said.

"This will be a great service for young local families providing care for newborns through to school age children thanks to the inclusion of outside-hours school care."

Mount Isa City Council received almost $1 million to install a water slide at the Splashez Aquatic Centre, a project which Mayor Danielle Slade said residents had been requesting for years.

"The water slide will make Splashez an even more fun and attractive place in which to hang out and spend time with friends and family," Mayor Slade said.

"Our town pool will be an even better and more dynamic space for families when we add the new water slide, which will really appeal to kids aged 12 and under, and will really complement the new water play facilities at the soon-to-be-completed upgraded Family Fun Park."

The individual funding for the five projects can be found below: