: News Article

Two public meetings on recreational use of Ross River Dam

8/5/2000

"A 1997 report prepared for NQ Water on recreational use of Ross River Dam will also be taken into consideration once more and better points from that report could be incorporated in this new study.

"Ross River Dam is first and foremost a water storage and flood mitigation facility and it may not be in the best interests of the population at large to open it for recreational use. The new recreational management strategy should help determine the direction in which NQ Water could and should move on this matter.

"There have been many people over the years urging NQ Water to open Ross River Dam for recreation year-round. This decision to appoint a consultant to produce a recreactional strategy, is one NQ Water had been considering for some time," Two public meetings on the possible use of Ross River Dam for recreation, will be held this week.

Originally, only one such meeting had been planned, but a current surge of interest in the community consultation program on whether or not the dam should be used for recreation, has encouraged NQ Water to schedule two public meetings on consecutive nights.

NQ Water Chairman, Ian Hamilton, said public response to the program was initially slow, however the tide had turned and around 300 individual oral and written submissions had now been received, including over 60 calls in one day. Many more calls were expected.

"Whereas early feedback was weighted heavily against the dam being made available for recreation, later respondents have been slightly weighted in favour.

"NQ Water will make a yes or no decision after public sentiment and expert projections on risk and cost factors have been taken into account," Mr Hamilton said.

"St Patrick's College Year 12 geography students will also assist in opinion gathering about the dam, by conducting a survey of Townsville/Thuringowa residents over the next few weeks, as part of a school project"

• The first public meetings will be in the forecourt of the Townsville City Council administration building this Wednesday May 10. The second meeting on Thursday May 11 will take place at the Thuringowa State High School's theatre, Vickers Rd Condon. Both meetings will begin at 7pm.
• Speakers will include technical experts and representatives of NQ Water and the Ross River Community Consultation and Communication Program.

More information:
Ian Hamilton
Telephone: 4772 1166
Mobile: 0418 777 284

Media contact:
Harry Landman
Telephone: 4779 6619
Mobile: 0418 743 37

© 2004 NQ Water