May 17, 2023
KENNEDY MP Bob Katter has threatened to declare war with the state and federal governments if there is any attempt to raise the Burdekin Dam wall, warning growers are at risk of losing their farms if the project ever sees the light of day.
The warning comes as the Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, as well as state counterpart, Glenn Butcher used a roundtable in Townsville on Wednesday to announce $5.5 million to assess all water projects in the Burdekin region.
“The Regional Water Assessment will identify options to improve water security in these communities with projects prioritised by urgency, location, and scope of work required,” a government statement read.
Mr Katter said that while he welcomed the opportunity to make a submission, he threatened it would be “World War III” if the Burdekin Dam project ever got the green tick.
“There is nothing that happens in Brisbane government – and I use the word Brisbane government, or Canberra Government where nothing actually happens, we just keep looking at things. They don’t build things.
“I think today there will be some great controversy as there will be some criminally irresponsible people advocating raising the Burdekin Dam Wall to provide the most expensive electricity known to man which is pumped hydroelectricity.
“If you’re a Burdekin famer, watch out mate, because they will be taking your water and your farm off you so they can produce the most expensive electricity in the world. Secondly, it is only fill-in “peak load” electricity – not base load. Thirdly, raising the wall completely destroys Bradfield.
“So any government that advocates this, they are backing themselves in against Dr. JC Bradfield who built the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Story Bridge in Brisbane, Sydney’s water supply, the Underground Railway System in Sydney which won the world prize for engineering.”
Mr Katter said the Revised Bradfield Scheme takes a little tiny bit of these massive, rampaging flood waters, and turn into the dry, drought-stricken inland of Australia, and create Girawanah - a land of flowers.