Haughton Pipeline Stage 2 not started 12 months on
Federal Herbert MP Phillip Thompson says the community has been let down by the State Labor Government which has broken its promise to build Stage 2 of the Haughton Pipeline within 18 months.
Mr Thompson said today marked one year since Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick handed back $195 million of federal funding for the critical project, based on a farcical argument about GST.
“One year ago, the State Labor Government put politics ahead of our community by rejecting $195 million of locked-and-loaded funding for Stage 2 of the Haughton Pipeline,” Mr Thompson said.
“12 months later and there’s not a single pipe in the ground, meaning our worst fears of more than 700 jobs being delayed have been realised.
“The Queensland Treasurer told the community tenders would go out that weekend and the pipeline would be finished within 18 months.
“With planning work still being done one year on, the Queensland Treasurer needs to either explain to the Townsville community how he expects this massive project to be finished in 6 months, or admit that he’s broken his promise.”
A recent Townsville City Council meeting heard the project had not progressed to a point where construction could begin.
Mr Thompson said he was unsurprised the Queensland Government had failed to deliver the project on time.
“If the State Labor Government hadn’t played political games and had simply done its job signing off on the project, the pipeline probably would’ve been built by now,” he said.
“The community has told me they want the water security they were promised – it’s time for this State Government to deliver.”
ENDS