Vital infrastructure a focus in lead-up to state election

Lockyer Valley Regional Council is calling on the Palaszczuk State Government to listen to the pleas of regional Queensland in the lead-up to this year's state election.

Lockyer Valley Mayor, Cr Tanya Milligan said the Lockyer Valley's priorities centred around vital infrastructure, including both road and rail, health and, critically, water.

We desperately need to secure a long-term, reliable water supply for our whole community.

This drought is starting to tighten its grip once again, which makes the importance of a consistent additional water supply more important than ever.

It would enable our farmers and community some real long-term opportunities for planning, growth and economic sustainability, Mayor Milligan said.

Given the Lockyer Valley is now home to 42,000 residents and more than 3000 businesses, Mayor Milligan said the State Government desperately needed to secure land for a regional-sized hospital.

It's simply unacceptable for women in the Lockyer Valley to be unable to give birth here and be forced to travel to either Toowoomba or Ipswich.

The State Government needs to recognise this project as a priority for the long-term future of the Lockyer Valley and act now, she said.

Mayor Milligan said Council continues to recognise the national benefits of the Inland Rail Project but for the Lockyer Valley, the impacts far outweigh the benefits identified to date.

When Lockyer Valley residents have their say on the Environmental Impact Statement, we will be imploring the Coordinator-General to listen to the concerns of Lockyer Valley residents and make sure the adverse impacts of this project are dealt with appropriately.

At the end of the day, our communities will be faced with a freight railway that splits our region and we'll need both the State and Federal Governments to dig deep to compensate local government areas like the Lockyer Valley that will be so severely impacted, Mayor Milligan said.

Mayor Milligan said the Inland Rail Interface Improvement Business Case is looking for benefits the project could bring to the region. Lockyer Valley Regional Council was selected as one of four areas nationally to be fast-tracked for inclusion in the program.

While there may be some level of increased local employment, as well as the possibility for Lockyer Valley businesses to be involved in aspects of the development - we are looking for more through the Business Case process, she said.

Mayor Milligan also called on the incoming government to engage in respectful community engagement around the preservation of the Helidon Spa to Dinmore Road Corridor.

The Warrego Highway is a transport corridor and the right engagement around this project needs to take place for the long-term future of this vital infrastructure, she said.