5th July 2022
Pipeline contract awarded five months after project supposed to be finished
Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson says today’s announcement of a contract for Stage Two of the Haughton Pipeline comes five months after the end of the 18-month period in which the Queensland Treasurer promised locals the project would be completed.
Mr Thompson said it was 701 days since the project and the 700 jobs it would bring were unnecessarily delayed because of Labor’s failure to put the people of Townsville ahead of politics.
“Today marks 701 days since the State Labor Treasurer told the people of Townsville that Stage 2 of the pipeline would be finished in 18 months,” Mr Thompson said.
“We’re now 5 months past that point, and not a single pipe is in the ground, or drop of water has been pumped.
“Today State Labor, and the Labor-led council is celebrating a milestone on a project that could have been finished by now.
“We had this money confirmed and on the table in July 2019. Now it’s not even started, and the cost has blown out by $79M.
“It was only in April this year that the Mayor’s team were warning of water restrictions. The people of Townsville deserve their water security now.”
Mr Thompson said while it was positive the project was making progress, this was the first the community had heard about the pipeline for some time.
“It has been an unnecessary fight to get information out of the Council who have failed to keep the community informed on this project,” he said.
“I have sent letters, and called them out publicly – they simply don’t respond, or dodge and weave the questions.
“The people of Townsville deserve better and this project must be built as soon as possible.”
Mr Thompson said Labor’s argument over GST never held water.
“Let’s not forget, the backflip on the pipeline money was a political ploy on the eve of the October 2020 election to take credit for the project,” he said.
“The GST argument has always been a complete farce. The State Government didn’t complain when we jointly funded the Port Channel Widening, the Stadium or road projects like the Ring Road.
“Just before the Federal Election, the South-East Queensland City Deal was signed, and the Queensland Government admitted then that GST was not an issue.”
ENDS