A re-elected Liberal Nationals Government will invest up to $2 million to urgently address the unsafe water quality impacting Palm Island and examine options for a permanent solution to the issue.
Liberal National Party candidate for Herbert Phillip Thompson said that no Australian deserved to live without access to clean and safe water such as what Palm Island is experiencing right now.
"The water quality issue plaguing Palm Island has been the result of complete and utter neglect and incompetence by the Queensland Labor Government and needs to be urgently addressed.
"Today I am announcing that the LNP will deliver funds to the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council for urgent repairs and ongoing maintenance to identify and fix the immediate water quality issue and we will also examine a permanent solution to secure Palm Island's water.
"This is a solution we have developed in partnership with the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council.
"Today's announcement follows the deafening silence from Bill Shorten's candidate, Cathy O'toole, who had the audacity to announce a $1.1 million water park for Palm Island but had nothing to say about the water quality issue.
"If Aboriginal people in Herbert needed any evidence of how out of touch Labor is then this is it," Mr Thompson said today.
Minister Nigel Scullion said that it was extremely disappointing but not surprising that the Morrison Government has to step up to fix this Queensland Labor mess.
"Phillip Thompson is an absolute champion for the Palm Island community - as soon as this issue arose he was on the phone to me immediately to work up an urgent response so that Palm Islanders could have clean and safe water restored.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders know they have a genuine partner in the LNP who will listen to them, work with them and deliver for them.
Funding for this critical project will be delivered out of existing resources within the $5.2 billion Indigenous Advancement Strategy.
The funding will be provided to Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council to engage a suitably qualified Indigenous and local firm to deliver the repairs in a timely manner on a value for money basis.
