Flagship project starts Phase Two

The second phase of the $3.87 million project to relocate the Gayndah water treatment plant has begun.

Community Recovery and Resilience Minister David Crisafulli said the project, the first to be approved under the State’s Betterment Fund, was the flagship for stronger, smarter infrastructure throughout Queensland.

“The Gayndah water pump had been knocked out twice but rebuilt to the same standard, in the same location, by the previous Government.

“It was up and running just in time to be knocked out again in the 2013 floods.

“This project was a text-book example of the stupidity of rebuilding the same infrastructure in the same place, only to see it knocked out again.

“To be able to move the pumping station upstream of the Claude Wharton Weir is a victory for common sense and shows how important it was for the Newman Government to change the approach to flood repairs.

“We are seeing stronger, more resilient infrastructure built around the state, and Gayndah was a great place to start.”

Mr Crisafulli said Stage One of this project involved building a new water main, which was finished before Christmas.

“Stage Two will build a new submersible pumping station and a water intake upstream of the weir,” Mr Crisafulli said.

The project is due for completion by the end of this financial year, and is jointly funded by the Federal Government.

North Burnett Regional Council Mayor Don Waugh said the Gayndah Water Intake Project was vital to the town’s main water supply.

“Making this piece of infrastructure more flood resilient will help secure Gayndah’s water supply and improve the efficiency and reliability of this important piece of community infrastructure in the case of extreme weather,” Mayor Waugh said.

“Council is pleased the Betterment Fund has enabled us to relocate the water intake to a more suitable location.

“Council continues to make good progress with its reconstruction program with approximately a quarter of the flood damage sustained in the 2013 flood event repaired to date and the majority of works due to be completed by 30 June 2014,” he said.

[ENDS] 26 March 2014

Media Contact: Andrew Longmire 0418 216 627; Monica Rostron 0409 126 332