More water on the table to support Scenic Rim farmers
Farmers in the Scenic Rim are set to be buoyed by access to more water, with the Palaszczuk Government making more water available to support local farms and businesses.
Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said overwhelming interest, with 60 expressions of interest, meant a competitive tender was now open for up to 1275megalitres of groundwater.
“The response shows the economic confidence locals have in their region and that they want to grow their businesses, create jobs and support their communities,” he said.
“With our state’s continued strong health response during this pandemic, we have already started delivering Queensland’s economic recovery plan.
“This plan prioritises growing our regions and supporting the agriculture sector to drive economic prosperity.
“Access to more water can translate to more crops or increased production – which in turn fosters more jobs.”
Dr Lynham said the high demand for water has come from a range of businesses, local authorities and the farming community.
“This includes farmers wanting to expand their beef herds and vegetable fields, to businesses looking to provide additional food processing services such as packing sheds, feedlots and milking facilities to increase the Scenic Rim’s supply-chain capacity.
“Local councils have also put up their hand to help keep new sporting fields and parks green in time for the upcoming summer of sport.
“High-value crop farmers that include pecan, macadamia, and stone fruit growers are all keen to get a slice of the nation’s ever-growing ‘foodie economy’.
“This area is already a proven food bowl, and more water brings more opportunity and more certainty, and that’s what we are bringing as part of the State’s COVID 19 road to economic recovery – more opportunities for local investment, development, growth and jobs.”
Dr Lynham added that, since 2017, the Palaszczuk Government had committed $1.2 billion to water infrastructure across Queensland, delivering more than 2,300 jobs.
This includes:
- $176 million for Rookwood Weir.
- $215 million for the Haughton Pipeline Duplication Project (Stage 1) in Townsville and sealing a $24 million deal for the next stage of assessment for the proposed Hells Gates Dam.
- $16.5 million for the Burdekin Falls Dam raising feasibility studies (which includes the detailed business case).
- $14.53 million for the planning works for the Burdekin Falls Dam improvement project.
- a $16.5 million contribution to modernising an existing open channel irrigation scheme on the Atherton Tablelands.
- $13.6 million to kick start the new Emu Swamp Dam.
- $1 million feasibility study into a Warwick pipeline.
Tenders for the 1275 megalitres in Scenic Rim water licenses are now open for the next 12 weeks – to 30 November. They will be issued in early 2021.
The water is available to any farmer or business, regardless of the size of operation or type of water use. The water licenses will initially cover a three-year term and any development of works must be completed within this period.
Tenders will only be approved if environmental impacts and any impacts on existing water users can be safely mitigated.
