This area covers 1,235 km of the eastern seaboard with a land area of 252,542 square km (which is larger than the State of Victoria) and a population of approximately 280,330. Gross regional product is $16.72 billion, and it is the largest and fastest growing region in Northern Australia.

The Far North Queensland Water Alliance (FNQWA), in partnership with FNQROC, achieved a significant milestone with the completion and adoption of the FNQ Regional Water Capability Project in late 2024. The Regional Water Capability Plan is a strategic roadmap to strengthen water and wastewater service delivery across the region.

Developed through extensive engagement with member councils, the Plan identifies key capability gaps and outlines practical, scalable solutions to address them. It provides a suite of short, medium and long-term initiatives designed to improve service reliability, strengthen workforce capability, and support sustainable regional growth.

Far North Queensland faces a unique set of challenges, including geographic diversity, ageing infrastructure, population growth, and increasing regulatory and customer expectations. These factors place pressure on councils to deliver safe, reliable and efficient water and wastewater services. The Capability Plan responds directly to these challenges, offering a coordinated, regionally aligned approach to uplift performance across all member councils.

At its core, the Plan recognises that long-term success depends on strong regional collaboration. By working together, sharing knowledge, resources and data, councils can build collective capability, drive better investment decisions, and advocate more effectively for policy reform and funding support.