06 Apr Kynuna water upgrade in the pipeline

Following lobbying to the State Government, Member for Traeger Robbie Katter is encouraging a decision to re-purpose funding towards replacing old and unreliable bores in the small outback town of Kynuna.

In January this year, Mr Katter wrote to Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Steven Miles on behalf of Kynuna’s 12 residents asking for immediate financial help to resolve an extreme local water crisis.

Residents had been grappling with at times non-existent water supply and frequently unsuitable water quality for about five years, linked to the degraded condition of the town’s two bores dated at 40 and 100 years old.

It’s believed the 40-year-old bore was inspected in late 2019 and was deemed to be in need of repairs, but at another inspection later that year, it was concluded to be irreparable and in need of complete replacement.

Advice received by McKinlay Shire Council costed the sinking of a new bore at up to $500,000, which Council had not budgeted for in its 2021/21 expenditure.

“Access to clean and plentiful water is every Australians basic human right and it’s unacceptable that some remote residents are being left by the wayside when it comes to ensuring constant access to this necessity,” Mr Katter said.

In February this year, Minister Miles responded to Mr Katter’s letter advising that McKinlay Shire Council had been awarded $1.03 million under the COVID Works for Queensland program, which aimed to create jobs and recover the economy through infrastructure and maintenance projects.

Minister Miles said Council had nominated 12 projects, three of which were already complete, and that Council and Department officers would review the remaining nine projects with a view to repurposing some of that funding towards a replacement bore for Kynuna.

“This is an encouraging step but the pressure must stay on to ensure the 12 people who call Kynuna home get access to suitable and reliable water,” Mr Katter said.