Water Minister Glenn Butcher

March 16, 2022

The State Government’s promised Bundaberg and Burnett Regional Water Assessment – which includes water supply options for the South and North Burnett – will begin this week.

The first advisory group meeting will be held in Bundaberg on Thursday.

“The initiative will draw on advice from the community, irrigators, industry groups, technical experts, and Cherbourg, South Burnett, North Burnett and Bundaberg councils, to identify water supply options in the region,” Water Minister Glenn Butcher said on Wednesday.

The $3 million assessment, which will be led by Sunwater, aims to identify how investment in water can further enhance future agricultural, industrial and urban growth.

Sunwater CEO Glenn Stockton said it would run for 18-24 months.

“We will be working closely with stakeholders to identify the future water demands for the area, as well as compiling a comprehensive list of potential projects,” he said.

“At the end of this process, we will have a strategy that sets out how existing infrastructure, possible new infrastructure, and other solutions can be used to maximise water supply and drive economic growth.”

In December, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington asked Minister Butcher whether the proposed Barlil Weir on Barambah Creek – one of three South Burnett projects identified during the $2 million Burnett Water Feasibility Study – was being progressed by the Department.

The Minister’s reply indicated the Barlil project would be considered as part of the Bundaberg and Burnett Regional Water Assessment.

“This assessment will build on existing planning and research to identify the best water supply options across the region that can deliver benefits for communities, businesses and other water users,” Minister Butcher said at the time.

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2 Responses to "$3m Project To Assess Water Options"

  1. The Federal Government a couple of years ago gave $2 million to investigate the possibility of providing water for local irrigation users as well as increasing the potential for many more possible users to grow agricultural productivity. The South Burnett represents FOOD.

    The $2 million funding grant was to achieve a benefit for not just the South Burnett but the North Burnett, as well.

    I find it difficult to accept the massive expenditure on “investigation after investigation” to solve our problems. Not that dams in themselves solve the problem completely, but it’s a start.

    I grow weary of the inability of government to be able to make a reasonable and sensible, straight forward decision that we ordinary people can relate to and believe that something positive is really going to happen.

    Why waste ratepayer dollars if governments don’t have a clue or commitment to really help our regional areas?

    For me, time has advanced since all this started. It’s either “yes we can” or “no we can’t”.

    Reply

  2. I have to agree with you Keith. We’ve seen 20 (or more) years of water studies, but not one new dam in all that time.

    What we need is for the State and Federal Governments to bite the bullet and build them – not waste another dollar hashing and rehashing previous studies.

    The recent $2 million North and South Burnett study came up with almost nothing new except, perhaps, the idea of a small Barambah Weir dam. The State Government pouring a further $3 million into yet another water study, this time by Sunwater, seems like pure waste.

    Reply

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