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A city built on partnerships

From an isolated mining town to a modern outback oasis, Mount Isa is a city which has thrived through vision, endeavour and cooperation. The City Council has been a driving force behind the continuing transformation of Mount Isa into a more liveable and attractive city, and according to Mount Isa’s Mayor, Ron McCullough, the project owes its continuing success to the contributions of those who have invested in the city’s potential and committed themselves to building a better Mount Isa.

“Many years ago Council made a decision to make the CBD a place where Mount Isans would feel comfortable and proud of their surroundings,” Cr McCullough said. “We were not alone in our endeavours, with the State Government providing $2.5 million through a Regional Centres Programme Grant and Ergon Energy providing Community Powerlines Project Funding of $1.7 million to help transform our city centre from an inanimate collection of buildings to a city with heart.”

The project focuses on creating an improved and unified appearance throughout the CBD and the undergrounding of the overhead powerlines through Ergon Energy’s Community Powerlines Project has played a major role in achieving this.

“The partnership between Mount Isa City Council, the Ergon Energy Community Powerlines Project and the Queensland Government has been one of the most successful ventures in the city’s history,” Cr McCullough said. “We have to date spent $10 million on turning the Mount Isa CBD into an attractive, energetic and growing place where people now detour through the city to get a glimpse of what’s going on instead of passing it by.”

The project will continue in 2007 with further revitalisation works and the undergrounding of more powerlines with in the Mount Isa CBD.