Rockhampton Regional Council will soon be closing tenders on a business case for a long term water solution for Mount Morgan, with the successful tender set to be announced in coming weeks.
This comes as the council continues to cart water up the mountain for its residents, costing the community millions.
Rockhampton Mayor, Tony Williams, said it was a key step towards delivering a permanent, safe, secure and reliable water supply for the town.
“What the business case will allow us to do is identify all actions and options including installation, operational costs, potential community growth and development as well as funding strategies,” Mr Williams said.
“We have to go through these steps so that we can build a strong case to partner with other levels of Government which gives the project the best chance of receiving funding and becoming reality.
“We know this is a situation which Mount Morgan has faced for decades and I am proud of the work being done by this council, including Water Councillor Donna Kirkland and Divisional Councillor Cherie Rutherford, in addressing this problem once and for all.
“I look forward to making an announcement in the coming weeks on the successful tender and keeping the community informed,” Mr Williams said.
Water Councillor, Donna Kirkland, said while this work was being completed the council would continue to truck water to Mount Morgan.
“Today marks six months since we began carting water in earnest and over the last time we have seen those truck numbers grow to 30, sometimes 40, trucks a day,” Ms Kirkland said.
“This cartage has allowed us to keep the supply of safe drinking water to the town but it has come at a cost – almost $2.5 million to date.
“We know that trucking is not a viable long-term solution and we are eagerly waiting on a decision from Water Minister Glenn Butcher after we put in a formal request for financial assistance. In the meantime, I want to assure the Mount Morgan community we will keep the trucks going.”
Divisional Councillor, Cherie Rutherford, said Mount Morgan had once again shown its resilience in the face of adversity.
“Our Mount Morgan community is tough and they’ve had to endure a lot of hardship. We as a council appreciate the support they have given our organisation as we work with the community to find a long-term solution,” Ms Rutherford said.
“We are making progress. We know there isn’t a quick fix but by working together we will secure a long-term water supply for the town.
“In the meantime, we need the community to keep up its water conservation efforts and stay within those level six restrictions currently in place. I know this will be even tougher as the weather heats up but it is imperative we all do our bit and look after the carted water supply.”
The successful tender for the Mount Morgan business case will be announced in the coming weeks, and the tenders will be closing on the 22nd October 2021.
Drone vision of the No. 7 dam can be seen here.
