2020 State Election Campaign
Investment in key region shaping water projects
WHAT WE SEEK:
a. Commitment to and / or continued support to turn the following region shaping water projects into reality by:
Creating a positive regulatory environment;
Developing a new approach to the granting of water licenses to ensure expediency and adequate economies of scale.
Providing adequate funding support.
The Richmond Irrigated Agriculture Project - Richmond Shire Council ($210 million)
This project will provide off-stream and on-farm storages on O’Connell Creek to support the development of 8,000 hectares of irrigated farmland between Richmond and Julia Creek.
As an initial step, Council is seeking the following from the State Government:
i. Conditional water allocation for 100,000 ML per annum mean annual diversion
ii. Approval pathway for development
iii. Approval for Council to establish an Authority to operate the facility.
2. The Cave Hill Dam - Cloncurry Shire Council ($460 million) *
The proposed 140,000 ML dam will provide secure affordable water to develop new irrigated agriculture, support new mining developments with enhanced viability through cheaper electricity from the CopperString 2.0 Project, and guarantee water security for urban and industrial users across the Cloncurry-Mount Isa region through increased storage capacity of 60 percent.
3. Flinders River Irrigation Projects – Flinders Shire
3.1 The 15 Mile Irrigated Agriculture Project Stage 2 - Flinders Shire Council
Stage 2 of the Flinders Shire Water Strategy Plan includes the water harvesting of existing water allocations and an off-stream Water Bank for storage and distribution of water for the development of all projects within the Flinders Shire Agricultural area. This will provide increased capacity to expand horticultural and agricultural industries and support the continued development of Stage 1.
3.2 Hughenden Irrigation Project – HIPCo #
HIPCo also plans to create an ‘off-stream’ water storage facility adjacent to the Flinders River to support agricultural and horticultural industries in the area.
“New infrastructure creates jobs, particularly during construction. Council estimates that the Richmond Agricultural Project will create approximately 770 full time jobs in the first three years of construction, approximately 650 full time jobs in supporting infrastructure works and 55 full time permanent jobs post construction.”
HOW THIS WILL HELP THE NORTH WEST AND QUEENSLAND RECOVER:
Investing in major water projects will support growth in both traditional and emerging industries (high value irrigated cropping), increase productivity and enable the North West to contribute even more to state and national economies.
These projects require close collaboration between the State and Federal governments and are examples of initiatives needed to create industry diversification and jobs within Queensland’s rural and remote North West.
Further, project materials are often sourced from local businesses and workers spend their wages in local communities providing benefits for businesses not directly involved in project construction.
* https://www.cloncurry.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/1054/cave-hill-dam-prospectus
# https://hipco.com.au/