ACTING Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has urged Far North Queensland community leaders to apply pressure to the Queensland Government to get critical water infrastructure moving in the north.
Mr Joyce, who is acting while Prime Minister Turnbull is out of the country, addressed a small but influential group of local government, industry and agricultural leaders in Mareeba earlier on Saturday.
He told the group, which included mayors of Cook, Etheridge and Tableland local government areas, that “raw money” was on the table for proposed projects like Nullinga Dam and Rookwood Weir, but he was frustrated with the lack of action from the Queensland Government.
While in Mareeba, Smec was announced as the consultant for a $820,000 feasibility study into the potential for irrigated agriculture in Lakeland, on Cape York Peninsula.
Minister Joyce travelled to Tully where a packed shed at Blenners Transport gathered to hear from the Federal Agriculture Minister.
Hot on the topics of discussion was the current impasse between Wilmar Sugar Australia and Queensland Sugar Limited.
Minister Joyce made it clear he was in the region “to reach a resolution” to the issue, with a meeting in Ingham late Saturday and a rally in Ayr Sunday morning.
“I’m up here because we are going to sort it out,” he said..
