Mount Isa City and Cloncurry Shire councils could assume responsibility for the North-West local water assets for a small sum and leave struggling residents far better off financially, Traeger MP Robbie Katter has said.

Mr Katter has expressed his desire for the two councils to take over the local water assets, which he said could essentially save residents millions in water rates each year.

“As it stands, the State Government owns the water assets of Lake Moondarra,” he said. 

“These assets are managed by the Mount Isa Water Board (MIWB) and are then charged to the Council, who pass these costs on to the community. 

“Any profit made initially goes to the Treasury.

“The Mount Isa City Council then only receives an arbitrary and varied dividend of that back, and one that is usually only half of the profit made.   

“In the 2021-2022 financial year the Council received an approximate $3.1 million dividend from the Queensland Government, and the year before it was $3.4 million.

“This is significantly lower than the amount paid to the Government.

“If the State Government was to relinquish ownership of their component of the water assets to the two councils, they could still be managed by the MIWB.

“Lake Moondarra, Lake Julius, Chinaman Creek Dam and Cloncurry are all interconnected via pipelines, so there’s a massive potential to bundle all four of these assets into one.”

Mr Katter said he would write to the State Government’s Water Department and the Mount Isa City and Cloncurry Shire councils, requesting both entities collaborate in order for the council to gain ownership of community water infrastructure assets.

“If the local councils can have ownership of such assets, meaning they are managed by one, it will result in greater regional water security,” he said.

“Should the Government be willing to hand these assets over, we’d be cutting out the middleman and securing increased prosperity for the region.

“Recent years have seen water bills in Mount Isa increase significantly as a result of this double handling, so the local councils having ownership over these assets will certainly improve the size of these bills.

“In the North West, access to water has a direct link to the quality of living, and having good access to water out this way is imperative.

“I have discussed this potential with both councils, as well as the Minister for Water.

“As I see it, there is really no reason this cannot become a reality.”

20221129 – RK media release – Mount Isa water security a simple fix Katter