SEQ City Deal gets Green Light
Lockyer Valley’s lifestyle, water and local catchments have received a major funding boost plus access to more than $400 million in regional funding pools through the SEQ City Deal announced today, Monday 21 March 2022.
The SEQ City Deal is a 20-year partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and 11 Councils which make up the Council of Mayors (SEQ) which provides a shared commitment to transform SEQ and deliver region-shaping infrastructure. It will deliver a significant foundation investment of more than $1.8 billion that will generate thousands of local jobs, boost digital and transport connectivity, enhance liveability and support one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor Tanya Milligan said the Deal investment highlighted the important role the Lockyer Valley and the south-east would play in the future prosperity of Queensland and Australia.
“The SEQ City Deal includes an initial investment of almost $16 million which will kick-start priority projects across Lockyer Valley focussed on enhancing our water resilience, water security and our region’s lifestyle,” Cr Milligan said.
“Enhancing our region’s liveability is also a Deal priority with a $2.6 million investment community infrastructure that could include sporting facilities that will help provide our region’s youngest residents a running start to 2032.
“Water is a big issue for our community and the Deal will deliver an initial investment of $13.3 million to enhance water supply and efficiency for Lockyer Valley and consider longer term planning to secure supply of water for growers in the Lockyer and Somerset regions. This is great news for industry and local jobs.
“The Deal includes $2.1 million to improve transport and freight route planning and to identify priorities for infrastructure investment to improve service reliability to get our region’s produce from the farm to the plate, quicker and safer.
Mayor Milligan said the region would also benefit from more than $400 million in funding aimed at creating new jobs, supporting emerging industries, enhancing local environment and boosting innovation and connectivity across the South East.
“We know growth is a huge issue and the Deal will invest $5 million to jointly identify the infrastructure and land use planning needed to keep pace with our extraordinary population growth. This will enable better investment by all tiers of government and industry towards things like transport and services,” the Mayor said.
“It also includes more than $105 million to improve the region’s waste infrastructure, building on the Council of Mayors (SEQ) Waste Management Plan and furthering the south-east’s transformation towards a cleaner, more sustainable region.
“Our local rivers, waterways and bay will also receive a needed boost with an additional $40 million over the next 5 years towards delivering priority, on-ground works to improve their overall health and resilience through the Council of Mayors (SEQ) Resilient Rivers Initiative.
“First as Deputy Mayor and now as a Mayor, I am proud to say I have been involved in the City Deals process since 2013.
“Persistence has been key, and I am so proud of where we are today – despite the naysayers.
“COMSEQ and Council have kept the Lockyer Valley’s interests high on the table, and we’re now seeing that persistence pay off.”
Mayor Milligan said this would be a major boost for the Water For Lockyer Project, which is centred on long-term food security for both Queensland, and the nation.
“While it’s not the whole answer, this is significant progress,” she said.
Council of Mayors (SEQ) Chair and Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner said the deal is a critical step towards ensuring the south-east corner can cater for a booming population and is ready when the world’s biggest sporting event arrives in just over a decades’ time.
“This deal demonstrates what great things can be achieved when all levels of government work together,” Cr Schrinner said.
“There might not have been a time in our region’s history when such co-operation has been so critically important. SEQ is experiencing significant population growth as more and more Australians discover our unmatched lifestyle and want to call our region home.
“We’re also a decade away from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games which presents a unique chance to showcase our region to the world while establishing a legacy that can continue to deliver for the generations to come.
“This City Deal puts us on a path to manage population growth, deliver the best-ever Games and, importantly, improve the lives of all of our residents through ongoing co-operation.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with industry and the other levels of government to empower the SEQ City Deal to deliver the needs of our rapidly growing region.”
City Deals are an approach to bring together the three levels of government, the community and the private sector. This partnership focuses on aligning planning, investment and governance to accelerate growth and job creation, stimulate urban renewal and drive economic reforms to secure the future prosperity and liveability of our region.
For more information on the SEQ City Deal visit www.seqmayors.qld.gov.au
