Update by: Wendy Hughes, Regional Strategic Infrastructure Coordinator
Water Alliance
With a view to strengthening the relationship between Councils and the regulators, at the meeting on 24 September members of the regional water alliance were joined by representatives from Queensland Health (Tropical Health Unit) and the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water (DRDMW).
The agencies were invited to attend on an ongoing basis to share their insights into regional issues such as managing skill shortages during COVID, managing policy changes that may impact drinking water quality management plans, providing project updates such as catchment plan reviews, and updating members on issues relating to public health. We thank the agencies for accepting our invitation and welcome the opportunity to work with them more closely.
In addition, over the past 2 months alliance members have worked through a list of potential projects to inform its strategic focus for the next 12-18 months. With skill shortages remaining a top priority, it was agreed to work with Queensland Water to approach Jobs QLD for support in developing a regional workforce plan for the water sector in FNQ. If successful, the workforce plan would be a pilot program that can be replicated in other regional areas faced with similar challenges. Additional regional procurement projects are also being explored.
Waste Management and Materials Recovery (WMMR)
The WMMR Advisory Group has had a busy couple of months with the second meeting held on 30 September in Cairns. While the current focus is on scoping the tender document for the development of a regional waste management plan, in recognition of the work that has begun on 29 September our Advisory Group Chair, Cr Angela Toppin was invited to present at the LGAQ Waste Forum. Read more
- At the Forum Cr Toppin’s update focused on some of the challenges we face in FNQ as custodians of two World Heritage listed areas, and the fact our Councils must think differently to those in South East Queensland due to the distances our waste and resources must travel – not only between towns but also to secondary markets in locations such as Brisbane.
To put this challenge into context, Cr Toppin shared the fact the combined land area of our member Councils is larger than the state of Victoria and that while our population is around 280,000 people, the region plays host to more than 3 million visitors per annum (when not impacted by COVID). The financial implications of this ratepayer to visitor ratio on waste management was not lost on the room of delegates, who represented a combination of local, state and federal government agencies.
With support from the FNQROC Board, the Advisory Group is now working to secure matched funding from the State to progress the development of the regional waste management plan. Discussions on this are actively underway.
When the project tender document does go to market, to minimise opportunities for conflicts of interest an Advisory Group sub-committee will oversee the tender process. We expect to release the tender before the end of the year.