Today, our State's Water Minister, Mr Glenn Butcher visited Townsville and made several announcements regarding water security in our region.
Firstly, we thank Mr Butcher for visiting the region and acknowledging the importance of water security in North Queensland.
Bradfield Scheme announcement
The announcement of the Bradfield scheme not being endorsed doesn't come as a surprise. We always knew that we had to work on a smaller scheme for Hells Gates Dam to fit within the current environmental legislation. Hells Gates Dam was purposely designed to develop the most efficient water storage scheme within this area.
Burdekin Dam Wall Raising EIS announcement
The announcement today is a good start. Both the Burdekin Wall Raising as well as Hells Gates Dam need Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) completed.
Townsville Enterprise has gained a large amount of information through the Hells Gates business case to understand that the Burdekin River as a whole is capable of capturing more water than we do currently. We are pleased that we will be working with the State Government on an overall holistic catchment approach to ensure long-term water security for our region. As we know there are opportunities for the region with the Burdekin Dam and Hells Gates Dam operating as one system.
The EIS for Hells Gates Dam will require funding, which was taken from regional Queensland in the October Federal budget. We ask for the State Government's support to fund the EIS for Hells Gates Dam and progress this project for water security in North Queensland.
