Cloncurry`s water problems over, for now

The recent deluge in north-west Queensland has farmers calling for more after years of drought, Cloncurry grazier Peter Hall says.
Just one month ago, the Queensland government called tenders for a pipeline to save Cloncurry from dying of thirst.
The town of 2,400 had been relying on water out of tankers railed in from Mt Isa after its dam ran dry and bores dried up.
Now, Chinaman Creek Dam is overflowing, the town is isolated by floodwaters, and aquifers are being replenished.
Mr Hall, a cattle spokesman for lobby group AgForce, said the deluge marked a return to normal monsoonal weather patterns not seen since the 1970s.
The widespread steady rain would provide a brilliant start to the season and any loss and inconvenience would be more than compensated by the pasture growth it would generate, he said.
"This is a proper wet season like we used to get, rather than the storm weather we've been getting by on in recent years," he said.
"It's such a long time since we had weather like this that I've forgotten what it is like.
"It's the best thing since sliced bread and we couldn't have ordered better rain if we had wanted to."
Nevertheless, Cloncurry's drinking water supplies are still tenuous over the medium to long-term and the 38km pipeline from the Ernest Henry gold and copper mine, north-east of Cloncurry, remained a priority, Mr Hall said.
After touring the region on Wednesday, treasurer Andrew Fraser reaffirmed the government's commitment to build the pipeline.
In the meantime, Mr Hall reckons he can hear the grass growing already.