Published Saturday, 05 July, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Minister for Women and Women’s Economic Security, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Minister for Multiculturalism
The Honourable Fiona Simpson
Crisafulli Government delivers critical funding for clean drinking water in remote community
- Crisafulli Government Budget delivers $18 million for critical water infrastructure upgrades in Woorabinda.
- Calling on Federal Government to match Queensland’s funding to restore the supply of clean drinking water.
- Woorabinda has been on boiled water alerts since December 2024 due to infrastructure neglect from former State Labor Government.
The Crisafulli Government has called on the Federal Government to do what their Queensland Labor colleagues couldn’t – commit to restoring clean drinking water supply in one of Australia’s most economically disadvantaged towns.
The Crisafulli Government committed $18 million in the 2025/26 Budget to restore this essential service in Woorabinda, 170km south-west of Rockhampton.
Woorabinda has been on boiled water alerts since December 2024. With three of the community’s four water bores not operational, residents are only able to access low quality water piped directly from Baralaba.
The major funding commitment for Woorabinda is part of a plan to improve crucial water supply in communities abandoned by the former Labor Government, with the Crisafulli Government’s $108 million Closing the Gap Priorities Fund also providing $8 million each for Kowanyama and Aurukun.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Fiona Simpson visited Woorabinda this week to meet community leaders and gain a comprehensive understanding of the critical infrastructure issues facing residents.
Minister Simpson called on the Federal Government to match the Crisafulli Government’s funding, to ensure Woorabinda’s water infrastructure can be completely overhauled.
Minister for Water Ann Leahy wrote to the then-Federal Minister for Water Tanya Plibersek last year and submitted a funding request on December 19, 2024.
Minister Leahy and Minister Simpson have separately written to newly appointed Federal Minister for Water Murray Watt to match the state’s funding pledge.
Minister Simpson said Woorabinda’s water is not safe to drink, and it is a risk to public health.
“I have seen first-hand the toll it is taking on the Woorabinda community,” Minister Simpson said.
“Clearly Woorabinda’s water infrastructure needed significant investment and upgrades for some time under the former Labor government, but they were tragically silent on these frontline issues, and the current situation is completely unacceptable.
“The only tap Queensland Labor politicians cared about when they were in government was a steady flow of cash to retain lawyers for advice, not taps in remote and discrete communities to supply clean drinking water.
“We need the Federal Government to match our funding to ensure the job is done properly. I’m hoping the Labor MPs in Canberra will do more than their state-based colleagues ever did, because for them it was out of sight and out of mind.”
State Member for Gregory Sean Dillon said it was absolutely critical for the Woorabinda community and those people who live here to have access to reliable clean safe drinking water, as well as reliable volume of supply.
“The issue of access to clean safe drinking water in communities anywhere in Queensland should be beyond reproach, we call on the Federal Government to match this commitment and help these communities to thrive,” Mr Dillon said.
“We need to ensure that water supply is maintained not just for short periods of time, but well past the lifetime of any one of us in politics.”
Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Terence Munns said the water issues had hindered his community for so long, they pre-dated his election in March 2024.
“It is a basic human right to have clean drinking water, but it has been a band-aid solution for so long and the community has had enough,” Mayor Munns said.
“We’ve got issues with our water treatment plant and our piping. There are leaks between here and where our water comes from - the Dawson River in Baralaba.
“Our infrastructure can’t keep up and it’s on its last legs.”
ENDS
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