Image: Dan McKinlay, Tonya Murray, Ernie Camp, Annastacia Palaszczuk, Robbie Katter and Anne Pleash (Supplied)
Burketown Mayor Ernie Camp says he wants solutions, not sympathy after calling on the Labor Government to fund recovery and resilience projects in the Gulf of Carpentaria following devastating floods.
Mayor Camp recently lead a group of Burke Shire councillors to Brisbane, asking for $75 million to raise crossings and bridges at the Nicholson and Gregory Rivers, reducing isolation time to the Shire and nearby Aboriginal community of Doomadgee to weeks, not months.
Communities in the very remote area along the north-west Queensland and Northern Territory border have been without supplies since Christmas, with the road network consistently cut-off.
Mayor Camp says Doomadgee has been cut-off since before Christmas and is still only accessible by high clearance vehicle, and helicopter.
The delegation met with the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Ministers, and the local Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter MP.
Mr Katter says Burke Shire Council’s requests were economically minor when considered against the scale of the State and Federal Government’s investment in Brisbane ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
“It’s time for action – you simply can’t have towns cut off for three months like we have seen when there are viable solutions to prevent this,” he said.
“Let’s get to work and see what we can do to mitigate the effects of these events in future.”
Mayor Ernie Camp says the Premier and other Ministers were open to suggestions but hopes to get a reply prior to the state budget in June.
