While no one in our largest northern city, Townsville, was keen to see cyclonic damage and flooding, it’s fair to say more than a few were disappointed Tropical Cyclone Debbie went south and took her rain with her.
Few Townsville residents bothered to measure the meagre millimetres that Debbie dumped last week, least of all the Townsville City Council who are eagerly awaiting a deluge to fill the city’s dwindling water supply.
The Ross River Dam is now just under 18 per cent capacity and the city’s 180,000 residents are on level three water restrictions.
Once the dam drops to 15pc, the Townsville City Council will start pumping water from the Burdekin Falls Dam – an activity they’ve set aside $6.7 million for in the current budget.
This is a cost a city on it’s knees cannot afford. A scan of the Townsville City Council website reveals that building approvals were given for just 33 new dwellings in the month of February. That compares to 64 in February 2016, 83 in 2015 and 112 in the same month in 2014.
Water is by no means the only missing ingredient but it’s certainly a major factor when it comes to development and prosperity.
As one builder told The Register this week, “No one wants to build a house in Brownsville”.
The knock-on impact of low building approvals is well understood. No new houses means fewer jobs all round.
Of course, the Council and State and Federal Governments proudly point to the construction of a new stadium for the Premiership winning Cowboys as the saviour of the northern building industry.
“No one wants to build a house in Brownsville”.
But while that pie is big, it’s hard to share and in the end most go hungry.
It’s beyond comprehension that governments (at all levels) would support spending $250 million on a sports stadium in a city where it’s hard to guarantee the field will stay green.
Townsville mayor Jenny Hill says progress is being made on water security. She’ll no doubt site The City Deal. But in reality, the stadium money would have been better put towards new dams and infrastructure to sure up the city’s water supply, create jobs and provide a real economic boost for the whole region. Instead, Townsville is headed for another long, dry season in Brownsville and rate payers will be the ones who foot the bill for the privilege.
