SOME property owners in the Ridgelands and Alton Downs areas are so desperate to source water for livestock, they made a formal request for permission to tap into the Ridgelands State School pipeline.

But just before Christmas, the potential lifeline was ruled out when the Queensland Government notified struggling residents that it could not grant such a request.

The government told property owners that the water pumped to the school was supplied from the Fitzroy River barrage under a “Fitzroy River Water Standard Supply Contract” for water allocation to the state of Queensland.

The government also advised that the Department of Education was responsible for all associated pump and pipeline operations and maintenance costs.

In written correspondence to residents, the government said it was “sympathetic to the current water supply shortages as described by you in your correspondence.”

“Regrettably, due to the reasons already provided, the Department of Education is unable to approve your request to tap into the Ridgelands State School pipeline,” it said.

“Any approval given to tap into the Ridgelands State School pipeline could lead to multiple breaches of the Fitzroy River Water Standard Supply Contract.”

On Tuesday night about 40 people attended a public meeting at Alton Downs Hall, organised by State Member for Mirani Stephen Andrew, at the request of local residents.

The meeting heard that many property owners were on the brink of running out of water and the area had never been serviced by a main water pipeline.

Instead, residents had to not only source their own water but also figure out how to get it to their properties.

On Wednesday Mr Andrew met with Rockhampton Region Mayor Margaret Strelow and deputy mayor Tony Williams to discuss matters raised at the public meeting.

For more on that see story on page 10.