CLONCURRY has been forced to plan for an evacuation of its entire population of 3000 because it is running out of drinking water.

Mayor Andrew Daniels said the council had yesterday put the option on its disaster management plan after it moved its residents on to level 6 water restrictions.

It has been about two years since the town received good rainfall.

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Mr Daniels said the next step would be to move back "to Third World standards'' of using poor quality bore water for domestic use.

There was also an option of piping in water from the Great Artesian Basin, but the closest access was 60km away and would need a pipeline to be built in a hurry.

The council was investigating other options, like using water sitting in the mine pits. Then comes possible evacuation and that could last until the water resources were replenished.

"There are triggers, but until we get an idea of what shape our bores are in we won't know how much (time) we've got,'' Mr Daniels said.

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"I hope it never gets to that, but it's something we have to plan for. Water is such an important part of being out here, it's liquid gold, and of course it's a big decision when you cut people off.

"You have to consider these things and at this stage it's dire.''

In 2008, Cloncurry brought water in by rail from Mt Isa but this time around that may not be possible because its neighbour is also discussing evacuation, but as a worst-case scenario.

He said the council did not know where people would go or how it could be funded, but said the State Government collected levies for other issues and this could be one of them.

News_Rich_Media: Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says farmers in drought affected areas are doing it tough.

Other councils in the north have already said they will not force residents to pay rates because the drought had taken any money left in the towns.

Mr Daniels was also trying to get the Federal Government to pay the rates as an economic stimulus for Cloncurry.

Despite good falls in Mt Isa over the weekend, MP Robbie Katter said evacuation was the worst case scenario for the mining city as well.

He said local water supply at Lake Moondarra was just above 20 per cent and the weekend rain may have lifted that by 3 per cent, but that was nowhere near enough.

"We have to talk about the worst case scenarios,'' Mr Katter said.

It's likely that unless good rains fill the Lake Moondarra Dam before September Mt Isa's mines will have to significantly cut back production. The same may apply to the city's power station.

Cloncurry Mayor Andrew Daniels

He said if the Ernest Henry mine outside Cloncurry cut back its water use the town may be able to last longer.

"But if you asked the Government whether they wanted millions in royalties from the mines or evacuate the town which one do you think they would take? Evacuation, of course,'' he said.

"The truth is, we have been neglected here.''

He said Cloncurry needed another dam.

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