The Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROC) with support from the Department of Local Government and Water and Jobs Queensland, and has developed a Regional Water Capability Plan which aims to identify capability gaps within the water sector and assess potential options for member councils. It provides a list of scalable and achievable short, medium and long-term strategic initiatives and actions that enable councils to address capability challenges in the delivery of services and deliver transformative outcomes for FNQROC.
This Regional Water Capability Plan is a crucial strategic plan for FNQROC, serving as a strategic guide to enhance the delivery of services across the region. Its importance lies in addressing key capability challenges faced by member councils through fostering council collaboration and driving regional partnerships, providing strategic alignment across the region, guiding policy reform and improvement, leading investment decisions through contextualising the region's specific needs and priorities and highlighting any funding and resourcing support required from the Government to reach the desired future state of service capability.
The water and wastewater sector in regional areas, particularly in Far North Queensland is currently grappling with significant capability challenges that hinder the effective delivery of safe and reliable services. These challenges stem from a complex interplay of internal and external factors which restrict the operational efficiency of services providers and their ability to meet the needs of the community. The region's unique geographical diversity, coupled with aging infrastructure and rapid population growth, exacerbates the difficulties in service delivery. As demands evolve due to regulatory changes and heightended customer expectations it becomes increasingly critical to enhance the operational effectiveness of these services. Recognising the diverse capacities and contects of FNQROC member councils, the strategic initiatives detauiked in the Plan have been crafted to be both scalable and achievable, esuring that they deliver holistic value to the region.
Following extensive engagement with FNQROC member councils, eleven strategic initiatives have been developed, each accompanied by corresponding implementation actions. These initiatives are designed to effecvtively guide member councils in executing the overall strategy. The strategic initiatives are as follows:
1. Establish common operating systems, platforms and tools - standardising processes to improve efficiency
2. Regional water data sharing - facilitating collaboration through shared data resources
3. Standardised SOPs, work instructions, templates and processes - creating uniformity in operations
4. Standardised water and wastewater asset and design and specification - ensuring consistency in infrastructure development
5. Strategic awareness of water and wastewater service delivery - enhancing understanding of service delivery dynamics
6. Prudent and effidient water and wastewater services in FNQ - promoting sustainable practices
7. Establishing regional market buying power for FNQ - leveraging collective purchasing to reduce costs
8. Driving change in water and wastewater grant funding - advocating for improved funding mechanisms
9. Building capability in risk-based decision making across FNQ - enhanced decision-making frameworks
10. Building maturity in asset management and planning across FNQ - strengthening asset management practices
11. Building and sustaining a strong water workforce for FNQ - fostering workforce development and retention
The Regional Water Capability Plan underscores that sustainable capability improvements will emerge from enhanced regional collaboration among FNQROC member councils, by sharing resources, learning from one another, and working collectively, councils can uplift their capabilities, advocate for broader policy change and investments where they add value and ensure the reliable delivery of water and wastewater servivces, with support and enablement from Government, key industry bodies and the broader market.
FNQROC Water Alliance Meeting Agendas & Minutes (2025)
Biosolids are nutrient-rich organic material which is the by-product of the wastewater treatment process. The biosolids produced by participating member councils are currently beneficially reused via land application but changes to the current regulatory framework relating to the presence of emerging contaminants means this may soon no longer be a viable option. In response to the rapidly changing regulatory position, a Regional Biosolids Sub-Committee has been endorsed by the FNQ Water Alliance to develop a Regional Biosolids Strategy for 2024 – 2034.
For further information, please contact the Regional Strategic Infrastructure Coordinator