INFRASTRUCTURE PUSH DOMINATES AYR BUSINESS BREAKFAST

Director of Infrastructure Planning & Environmental Services, James Stewart, provided an overview of the Burdekin Shire Council’s push for a slice of the $55 million Residential Activation Fund (RAF). Photo credit: Jacob Casha

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Major infrastructure projects designed to unlock residential land and secure water access took centre stage at the Burdekin Industry Breakfast last Wednesday.

The event, held at the Burdekin Theatre on 20 May, brought together developers, landowners, and agricultural stakeholders to discuss investments shaping the region's economic future.

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Topping the agenda was the Burdekin Shire Council’s push for a slice of the $55 million Residential Activation Fund (RAF). The council has officially applied for Round 2 funding to construct crucial trunk infrastructure, aiming to open up fresh housing developments across the Ayr township, specifically targeting the Beach Road, Chippendale, and Craig Street areas.

Council had already secured Round 1 funding to complete the detailed design work for the infrastructure, positioning the project for immediate progression if the secondary funding application is successful.

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Bowen Pipeline Company director Sean Brown also provided an update on the $700 million Bowen Pipeline Project, a privately funded 182-kilometre water pipeline running from the Burdekin River to Bowen along the Bruce Highway corridor.

Designed to deliver 100,000 megalitres of water to a region historically reliant on unpredictable summer rainfall, the project hit a major milestone just days before the breakfast, with water sales officially commencing on 18 May.

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Local agricultural prospects are also set for a further boost via the North Queensland Food Futures Precinct Project in Ayr.

Spearheaded by the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association (BGGA) using Regional Economies Future Fund grants secured in 2024, BGGA CEO Jenn Honnery said the pilot food processing facility will focus on converting the 30 per cent of fruit and vegetables that fail tomeet market standards into shelf-stable products.

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The breakfast also detailed how the new facility will serve as an innovation space, giving local growers access to specialised commercial processing equipment to value-add their produce.

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