18 Jul Stone walls, not Big Rocks – Katter slams Government inaction forcing Council’s hand

The Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter has slammed the Labor Government and their ideologically driven departments, while backing the Charters Towers Regional Council’s decision to wipe their hands of the Big Rocks Wier Project

“This just demonstrates that the Government and the bureaucracy in Brisbane have no appetite whatsoever to help develop and progress North Queensland,” the KAP Leader said.

“For three years now, the Charters Towers Regional Council have been tirelessly jumping through hoop after hoop put in front of them, only to be told to spend more rate payers’ money on more studies or plans – enough is enough!” Mr Katter said.

The Charters Towers Regional Council this week decided to relinquish its role as proponent, developer, owner and operator of the Big Rocks Weir Project (BRW) to the State Government.

The Council sought to build and operate a weir in the Big Rocks area of the Burdekin River, 35 kilometres from Charters Towers, with the goal of improving water security for the Charters Towers region and growing irrigated agriculture.

“He we have an example of a council being visionary and wanting to develop their region and contribute more to the state, but at every turn the departments have found another excuse to say ‘no,’” the Member for Traeger said.

“Instead of having vision for the state, the government is presiding over a bureaucracy in Brisbane who repeatedly build stone walls, rather than enabling state changing infrastructure.

“I fully support the council’s decision to give the project back to the state government – the council have done an excellent job in persisting this far, but as the project is starting to show signs of construction the State Government should be ones to deal with their own bureaucrats,” Mr Katter said.

The Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter also supported the council’s decision, and vowed to leave no stone unturned to make sure that the project gets a clear run through the Federal bureaucracy.

“I’ll be putting pressure on Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, to make sure that Brisbane cannot accuse Canberra of bogging down this vital project,” Mr Katter said.

Robbie Katter reiterated the need for the project, saying “Charters Towers need to know that they have a secure water supply into the future, and the potential growth from irrigated agriculture is too much to simply let Brisbane pen-pushers get in the way of,” he said.

“Everyone needs to remember that it was my father who secured the $28 million in Federal funds for the project in 2018, and we will not let that go to waste.”

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