September 13, 2024
The State Government has been urged to treat ratepayers fairly when it comes to paying for compulsory dam safety upgrades.
Toowoomba Regional Council and the South Burnett Regional Council are among more than a dozen Queensland councils ordered to upgrade dams to comply with the law.
The projects, designed to counter worst-case scenario safety issues, are blowing big holes in Council budgets which will have to be paid for by ratepayers.
In the South Burnett, preliminary estimates for the cost of the compulsory upgrade of Gordonbrook Dam are about $20 million, but this figure could rise.
The upgrade will not supply one extra drop of water to the local supply or improve water quality.
Toowoomba Regional Council is facing a $270 million bill for its compulsory upgrade of Cressbrook Dam.
Ironically, this upgrade – paid for by Toowoomba ratepayers – appears mostly to benefit residents in Somerset Shire.
Speaking at Tuesday’s TRC Council meeting, Toowoomba Deputy Mayor Rebecca Vonhoff said ratepayers in the affected Councils would be “paying twice” for dam upgrades,
She pointed out that Seqwater had been ordered to upgrade Somerset and Wivenhoe dams at a cost of about $6 billion.
As this was a Queensland statutory authority, the cost would be covered by Queensland taxpayers.
“Here’s where fairness comes into it,” Deputy Mayor Vonhoff said.
“Ratepayers and taxpayers are the same person.
“So if taxpayers are going to subsidise the upgrades for people drinking water in south-east Queensland, are they going to help people in Toowoomba region or Cairns or Isaac or Mackay or Southern Downs etc pay for theirs?
“We haven’t heard yes or no yet from Queensland Government.”
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