A more sustainable, secure, and safe drinking water supply is on the way for the 1800 residents of Cherbourg, with Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council receiving a major upgrade to water supply infrastructure and services.
The almost $26 million project is supported by $12.8 million in matched funding from the Queensland and Federal governments through the National Water Grid Fund’s $150 million for First Nations communities in regional and remote Australia.
Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, said, “It’s unacceptable that about 600,000 Australians live in places without access to clean drinking water and still have to boil water.
“That’s why we are investing in critical water infrastructure upgrades in communities like Cherbourg – so Australians can access safe, sustainable and reliable water no matter where they live.
“These critical infrastructure upgrades will provide real, on-the-ground benefits for remote communities.”
Funding will enable upgrades to almost all current drinking water infrastructure, including completing planning, design, and construction for replacing water mains, a new reservoir and associated infrastructure, new filtration equipment, updated control systems, new water pumps, and water treatment processes such as clarification and UV disinfection.
Queensland Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing, and Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher, said, “Reliable water quality and services are something we often take for granted, but they are vital for the wellbeing, health and resilience of communities and prosperity of towns.
“Whether you’re based in Brisbane or Bamaga, access to a safe and secure water supply is the right of every Queenslander, and the Queensland Government continues to demonstrate our commitment to making this a reality no matter where you live across our great state.
Works will improve drinking water quality and the reliability of services, mitigating performance issues experienced across Cherbourg’s water treatment plant and distribution network over the past three years, which have resulted in frequent boiled water alerts for the community.
Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor, Bruce Simpson, said, “This support from the Australian and Queensland governments will be quite literally life-changing for our community.
“Failing water infrastructure and the past three years of boiled water alerts has taken its toll, so we’re grateful for this funding as it will provide a suite of upgrades to our water mains, reservoir, treatment plant and network facilities that will deliver a significant improvement in the standard of living and set us in good stead for the future.”
This upgrade will improve residents’ standard of living and, crucially, support the community’s continued ability to live, work, practice culture, share knowledge, connect, and engage with Country.
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