Labor pledges $77.4m for Torres Strait sea walls

Labor’s Federal election candidate for the seat of Leichhardt in the Northern Territory has pledged $$77.4 million to fund essential water infrastructure in the Torres Strait, if elected on May 3.

The Torres Strait Islands would receive $36.2 million for the construction of seawalls across five islands and an additional $42 million for the construction of essential water infrastructure, including waste water, potable water and solid waste disposal.

“Climate change is happening now, and it is happening now, particularly in the region of the Torres Strait. It is an existential crisis that requires immediate action,” Labor candidate Matt Smith said.

Phillemon Mosby, the mayor of Torres Strait Island regional Council said the funding was very welcome.

“It ensures that our people continue to have kinship and affiliation to our land in our sea Country,” she said.

“Regardless what colour of government at State and Commonwealth, First Nations people are important agenda to Australia as a country and I would, one would think that those relationships and partnerships are in place at both State and Commonwealth.

* Matt Smith is a former Cairns Taipan basketball player and a long-term Cairns local who is the Labour candidate for the Far North Queensland Federal seat of Leichhardt.