Community & Business
13 July, 2023
Projects identified to boost water supply
A LONG-awaited document that seeks to guide how the State will provide additional water resources to service the region’s agricultural sector is now out for public comment, but farmers are not holding their breath for the multi- million dollar projects to come on line.
A LONG-awaited document that seeks to guide how the State will provide additional water resources to service the region’s agricultural sector is now out for public comment, but farmers are not holding their breath for the multi- million dollar projects to come on line.
The draft Regional Water Assessment (RWA) for the Tablelands has identified several potential future water sources that have the capacity to boost supply to farms including three that will now proceed to detailed business cases:
▪ The Mareeba Dimbulah water sup- ply scheme efficiency improvement pro- ject stage 2;
▪ Lake Mitchell to the Barron River pipeline; and
▪ The Johnstone River to Tinaroo Falls Dam pipeline (also known as the North Johnstone diversion).
The North Johnstone diversion’s will cost at $115 million-$150 million to produce up to 11,400 megalitres annually. It entails a water transfer of unallocated water from the Johnstone River to increase the water yield available from Tinaroo Falls Dam.
The Lake Mitchell transfer option, which involves pumping water from the lake to the Barron River to offset water from Tinaroo Falls Dam, has an estimated cost of $74 million and up to 11,500ML in extra water.
Stage 2 of the MDWSS efficiency project, which is estimated to provide 2350ML per annum, involves releasing unallocated water from reserves identified in water plans across the region.
But while the government has committed to undertaking the business cases
for the Lake Mitchell and North John- stone projects, regional advocacy group Advance Cairns says they are 10-20 years away from becoming a reality.
“Two significant initiatives which could add 15-20 per cent extra water into the Atherton Tablelands major agricultural irrigation scheme are 10-20 years from reality, despite being identified as top priorities,” Advance Cairns executive chairman Nick Trompf said.
He said construction could only be- gin after the detailed business cases, which could take up to two years to complete, and government funding was secured.
According to FNQ Growers president Joe Moro, there’s a long way to go before farmers will know with any certainty as to whether this water will eventually become available and what the price will be, given both projects will cost upwards of $200 million.
“Unless government pays for 95 per cent of the infrastructure, farmers will not be able to afford the water,” he said.
“I think it’s been a great process to get to this point, our group has been part of that process, and while this document will identify the potential cost, it’s a long way to go until we get the final cost and we have to consider that growers might not be able to afford the water.
“A lot of farmers would say they re- ally don’t want more water until there’s more security in markets and better pricing for farmers.”
Mr Moro says an additional 20,550 megalitres of unallocated water from the catchment, which his organisation and Canegrowers fought hard to get recently released, would meet most of the demand for water when coupled with
around 8300ML identified from the efficiency project undertaken by Sunwater last year.
Mr Moro said once a process to vali- date the water savings was completed, new water allocations would be made available for sale.
State Member for Hill Shane Knuth has cautiously welcomed the draft RWA. “The audit of the Barron River catchment has identified an additional 20,550 megalitres of water which can be allocated however this barely scratches the
surface of what is needed,” he said. “Agriculture is booming on the Tablelands, and we are seeing significant population growth, which requires water projects, such as the North Johnstone Transfer (or Johnstone River to Tinaroo
Dam Pipeline).”
Mr Knuth said he was cautious of
the State Government’s announcements because he had seen plenty of business cases and studies commissioned for water projects which never go ahead, de- spite approval.
“There has been feasibility study after feasibility study done, but still noth- ing gets built,” he said.
“I would encourage as many members of the Atherton Tablelands community as possible to have their say on water projects in the region and demand action.”
Public information sessions on the updated water management strategy will be held at the Dimbulah Memorial Hall from 10am-2pm, and at Mareeba’s Cedric Davis Community Hub on 13 July from 10am-2pm.
To put in a submission about the RWA, go to www.rdmw.qld.gov.au/water/ and click on consultations.
