The decision to cut committed funding to the Hells Gates Dam project in North Queensland is a major blow to the region and a lost opportunity for the nation.
Townsville Enterprise CEO, Claudia Brumme-Smith, said the decision sounded the death knell for the Hells Gate project, which its business case showed was feasible and an economic prime mover for regional Australia.
“Losing more than $5.4bn of funding for Hells Gates Dam is a blow for the North. This was money that was in the bank,” Mrs Brumme-Smith said.
“The lack of consultation on the issue is disappointing and not a good start for this Government to deal with regional Queensland. If not the Dam at the very least this money must stay in our community.”
“The Albanese Government’s election promise was to defer the project for 12 months and here we are six months in, and the project has been scrapped.”
“If water security is not on the agenda for this Government, then what is? Given we have doubled in population, have a global food crisis and global energy crisis, all of this requires water.”
“Everyone knows to produce hydrogen you need water and cheap renewable energy – we have both in abundance in North Queensland, but we need federal help to harness that opportunity.”
Although this is a big blow to the region, Townsville Enterprise acknowledges the Albanese Government’s commitment to the decarbonisation agenda.
“We welcome the $71.9M commitment to Townsville’s Hydrogen Hub and $22M to the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct. Townsville North Queensland is uniquely positioned to establish significant green hydrogen production, high-tech green manufacturing, and metals processing industries provided the necessary water, power, and transport infrastructure is in place,” Mrs Brumme-Smith said.
“But there is no transition without transmission and CopperString has missed out again, with transmission infrastructure money being committed to Victoria and Tasmania. Another blow for the prosperity of our region which has billions of dollars of private sector investments waiting but needing transmission to get to market.”
“We acknowledge the Federal Government’s $32M commitment to the North’s NQ Sparks project as well as the Townsville City Deal and it is encouraging the reinsurance pool remains in the budget.”
Townsville Enterprise’s Unlock the North document details the project priorities for Townsville North Queensland. Read it here – https://issuu.com/townsvilleenterprise/docs/2022_unlock_the_north_issuu
