Aurukun is one of the big winners of the State Government’s redirection of funding earmarked for the abandoned Path to Treaty and will receive $8 million to fund critical water infrastructure upgrades. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
Money earmarked for Queensland’s abandoned Path to Treaty will be used to deliver much-needed water security upgrades for Aurukun and Kowanyama.
The State Government announced on 20 March Aurukun Shire Council and Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council would both receive $8 million to install new water reservoirs and upgrade the water treatment plants in the remote western Cape York communities.
The funding is part of $19m committed to three communities through the new Closing the Gap Priorities Fund, which will redirect previous Path to Treaty funding into “impactful frontline projects for Indigenous Queenslanders”.
Further initiatives will be delivered in partnership with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Fiona Simpson said the funding would be better used than on the Path to Treaty, with the government accusing Labor of wasting millions of dollars on lawyers, not results on the ground.
“These communities face multiple layers of disadvantages, including lower rates of home ownership, poor access to basic amenities and services, lower life expectancy and deteriorating infrastructure,” she said.
“These three projects will help to significantly improve health and wellbeing outcomes, and I look forward to working closely with discrete communities to help deliver improvements for their communities in the years to come.”
Kowanyama Mayor Territa Dick said funding was critical to the community.
“The new bore, water storage and treatment plant upgrades are essential to ensure we can access reliable clean, safe drinking water,” she said.
“This funding helps future-proof our water supply and is a huge step forward for the health and well-being of our community.”
Aurukun Mayor Barbara Bandicootcha said the council was thankful for the funding to replace historical critical water infrastructure in the community.
