Community & Business
19 May, 2022
Water flows at new dam
A NEW dam has been constructed and officially opened by Etheridge Shire Council, with hopes to increase economic and environmental development in the region.
Charleston Dam, which has been in development since it was proposed in 2007, is located 6km downstream from Forsayth and 31km upstream from Georgetown on the Delany River and has been officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.
Ethridge Shire Mayor Barry Huge is pleased the project is now complete, saying said the dam would become a great community asset. “Primarily the Charleston Dam is a water supply to service the needs for the communities of Forsayth and Georgetown and secondly, it is a great community asset catering for the recreational requirements centred around boating, swimming, canoeing, and fishing for native species,” he said. “The economic flow-on benefits from such a project are wide and varied based on the tourism numbers that frequent the area for a seven-month period of the year to destinations that are a draw card to the immediate region. “The other major factor for people in the shire is it brings security and continuity to a water supply for two communities in the Shire. “This also enhances the liveability aspect of families coming to the shire through employment opportunities with added recreation activities and sporting events being held on the dam precinct.”
Alongside the opening the dam, Etheridge Shire Council also opened their “Unearthed Ethridge” project – an interactive and virtual reality display that shows the landscapes and history of the shire. The project, which was opened by Member for Traeger Robbie Katter, is a Works for Queensland project, with the Etheridge Shire Council successfully securing $500,000 to fund the fit-out of the terrestrial building.
