Council to apply for funding for water infrastructure upgrades

Charters Towers Regional Council will apply for funding to upgrade critical water infrastructure.

Councillors moved to approve the submission of a funding application under Round Five of the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) at February's General Council Meeting.

If Council is successful in securing funds, the money will go towards upgrading the reticulation network across Charters Towers.

Councillor Alan Barr, whose portfolio includes Water Resources, said the town’s reticulation network needs replacing due to issues relating to its capacity and age.

“An increasing amount of Charters Towers’ pipe network is nearing the end of its useful life,” Cr Barr said.

“The number of pipe breaks will increase in coming years and business-as-usual investment will not keep pace with necessary repairs and replacement.

“The focus of this application will be on replacing those elements of the reticulation network which also require upgrading to ensure growth areas of the town receive adequate water supply,” Cr Barr said.

BBRF is a federal government initiative to fund projects that create jobs, drive economic growth, and build stronger regional communities.

Round Five of the Fund will see $200 million made available with half of that designated for general infrastructure and community investment projects.

Cr Barr said the total cost of replacing the selected parts of the reticulation network will be about $4 million.

“BBRF will cover half the costs and Council will put in the remaining amount,” he said.

“This project follows the $21.55 million upgrades made to the raw water system and water treatment plant as part of Stage 1 of the Water Infrastructure Upgrade Project.

“This next stage will help us to unlock the increased potential from Stage 1 works,” Cr Barr said.