The Southern Queensland Inland and New South Wales Regional Water Alliance is pushing forward with plans to advocate for sustainable water supplies for their combined Local Government areas into the future.
The Mayors of Tenterfield, Goondiwindi, Southern Downs, Western Downs, Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley Regional Councils met in Goondiwindi last month. They agreed to carry through advocating for future water for the combined region.
Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio said the group would continue to come together regularly to discuss and plan for the future water needs of inland Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales.
“One of the best ways to advocate at a Local Government level is to join forces. That’s exactly what this alliance is looking to achieve. We are working together to secure the future water needs of our regions for decades to come,” Mayor Antonio said.
At its most recent meeting in Goondiwindi, the Alliance agreed that it supports the Queensland State Government’s Southern & Darling Downs Regional Water Assessment but that the team conducting the assessment are limited in its scope and is only looking 30 years ahead.
Mayors support water alliance
“The Mayors all agreed that we would run in parallel with this Assessment. We will advocate strongly for a longer-term, nation-building strategy. The strategy will guarantee water security, liveability and productivity in the Downs and Border regions. It involves new water sources for the next 50-100 years.
“A parallel priority is establishing links with the new federal Government. We have started connecting with Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Kristy McBain, and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King. Queensland’s Senators in leadership roles will be invited to join the team,” Mayor Antonio said.
“All levels of Government need to work together on water security. The States own the resources, and the Commonwealth has major funds for water infrastructure. We all need to be on the same page to deliver projects that look ahead for 50-100 years.
“For every good wet season, we need to plan for five dry years to better drought-proof our regions. Water is a scarce resource, but there are solutions to its storage and movement between regions as needed.
‘I look forward to the Southern Queensland Inland and Northern New South Wales Regional Water Alliance continuing to work together to advocate for solutions for our regions,” Mayor Antonio said.
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