Qld landholders doing the right thing by Great Artesian Basin

Published Tuesday, 03 January, 2017 at 02:46 PM

Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines
The Honourable Dr Anthony Lynham

Queensland landholders are on target to save another 8538 megalitres of water a year from the Great Artesian Basin’s precious water resources.      

Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said 27 bore-capping projects were approved in August in the latest round of the joint Federal-State Great Artesian Basin sustainability initiative.

“Queensland landholders are doing their bit to protect the Great Artesian Basin,” he said.

“This latest round was delayed when the Commonwealth walked away from this valuable program in 2015,” he said.

“Thanks to representations from the Palaszczuk Government and landholders, the Commonwealth re-committed and the program is now back on track.”

The program is a partnership between the Commonwealth Government, state governments and landholders, seeking to address declining water pressure in the Great Artesian Basin.

It provides financial assistance to landholders to rehabilitate water-wasting uncontrolled flowing bores and to replace the associated open bore drains with piped-water reticulation systems.

Dr Lynham said at 30 June 2016, $181 million has been invested under the GABSI program in bore repair, capping and piping works in Queensland, with the Queensland Government investing $64.3 million.

Under the GABSI and its predecessor programs, 686 uncontrolled flowing bores have been rehabilitated and 14,090 kilometres of bore drain have been replaced with piping.

“This has led to a water saving from the Great Artesian of around 200 972 megalitres per annum,” Dr Lynham said.

He said there are approximately 215 bores remaining to be rehabilitated within Queensland, and about 5500 kilometres of associated bore drains to be replaced with piping.

[ENDS]

Media Contact:          Benjamin Mulcahy 0419 562 389