Recently the Hon. Glen Elmes MP, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs, has approved one-off grant expenditure of $109,260 (GST exclusive) to Aurukun Shire Council
to purchase and install a new Low Aromatic Fuel (Opal) tank in the community.
DATSIMA signed an agreement with the Aurukun Shire Council on Friday, 6 December 2013.
Mayor Dereck Walpo advises that he is very happy to see this funding being injected into improving community safety and health outcomes. He explained that the community is cut off during
the wet season when the roads are closed and the old Opal tank didn’t have the capacity to last through the season.
The new tank can hold 68 kilolitres and this will increase the Opal fuel capacity by 40 kilolitres and as such, alleviate the risk of regular unleaded fuel entering the community.
This will have a significantly positive impact on the community and is welcomed by all involved.
The Minister has provided the funding through the Cape York Welfare Reform Service Procurement Fund and the Council has now purchased the tank, transported it to the community and
is in the process of having it installed before the end of the year.
The Mayor said that all this has been achieved ahead of the wet season and thus is a great result.
He concludes that this is a positive example of the contribution DATSIMA is making towards supporting resilience and safety in remote Indigenous communities.
