HISTORIC WORKS UNDERWAY TO DROUGHT-PROOF QUEENSLAND
Published Sunday, 24 September, 2006 at 12:00 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
A busy, innovative steel plant west of Brisbane has become the central hub in the plan to drought-proof Queensland for future generations.
On Friday, Premier Peter Beattie and Infrastructure Minister Anna Bligh witnessed first hand the inaugural roll-out of steel pipes which are pivotal to shoring up and connecting South East Queensland’s water supplies amid the most devastating drought on record.
Mr Beattie said more than 17,000 tonnes of steel pipes would be needed for the Southern Regional Water Pipeline of the Beattie Government’s water grid which will connect the water supplies of Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Tyco Water at Carole Park, west of Brisbane, has begun manufacturing the initial supplies of pipes for the 100km route, and for the 200km Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline.
The grid will connect water from water storage facilities and treatment plants including:
• Wivenhoe Dam
• North Pine Dam
• Somerset Dam
• Hinze Dam
• Leslie Harrison Dam
• Ewan Maddock Dam
• The Gold Coast desalination plant
• Cedar Grove Weir
“This will take the new liquid gold to the drought-ravaged areas where it is most needed,” Mr Beattie said.
“What is happening at this steel plant near Ipswich is history in the making – it’s about producing the pipes to build the water grid that will ultimately keep water flowing around South East Queensland.
“What we are experiencing is not a normal drought – it is the worst in South East Queensland’s history.
“That, combined with climate change and population growth, has placed us under enormous pressure but that’s also why the Government has joined forces with councils across the South East to build a water grid.
“In a nutshell, the only way we are going to overcome the drought is to establish pipelines between dams, both old and new, to move water from area to area, according to the most urgent need.
“So, what we are seeing happening at Tyco Water is crucial to our future.
“The construction of a water grid was a key commitment of my Government at the recent State Election and this is another sign that we are intent on delivering that commitment.”
Ms Bligh said Tyco has boosted its staff by 90 workers to cope with the demand of manufacturing up to 100 pipes a day over the next five months for the two pipelines.
She said the first batch of pipes produced by Tyco for both pipelines are expected to be laid in Ipswich in October.
“The SEQ water grid represents a massive investment in major water infrastructure including around 400km of new pipeline connections that will ensure a continued and reliable supply of liquid gold for the South East,” she said.
“We are working to very tight timeframes to ensure the pipelines are operating by the end of 2008.
“These projects are front and centre of my mind every day and we have to deliver.
“The water grid is a major undertaking, but a critical one to ensure a sustainable water supply for the people of south-east Queensland into the future.”
Additionally, Mr Beattie and Ms Bligh said the pipes being produced by Tyco would allow larger water users like power stations to avoid using precious drinking water from dams.
“The Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme will have the capacity to supply up to 230ML of recycled water per day to industrial users including power stations by December 2008, with the first stage to be completed by July 2007,” Ms Bligh said.
“This will replace approximately 90ML of drinking water currently used by power stations, with the remainder available to replace supplies used by other industrial and agricultural users.
Last week, Ms Bligh also took the Government’s water projects another step forward when she joined Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke to turn the first sod to mark the start of early works on the site of the desalination plant at Tugun – the largest in Queensland.
“Cost estimates prepared by the GCD Alliance – a consortium of organisations appointed to deliver the project – have now been provided to the Gold Coast City Council and the State Government,” Ms Bligh said.
“The cost estimate for the plant, tunnels and pump station connection is about $869 million for the 125 million litre a day plant.
“This reflects the fact that the plant is more than double the capacity of the original plant proposed by Council.
“When our Government bought into the project we not only sought to double the capacity of the plant but also to connect it to Brisbane through the Water Grid – which was also not part of the original proposal under consideration by Gold Coast City Council.
“The Alliance estimates that the cost of the pipelines and associated reservoir connections would cost about a further $257 million.”
Cr Clarke said a number of elements had underpinned the preliminary cost including the acceleration of the project’s delivery date to the end of 2008 and the highly specialised nature of the works, which required international expertise.
“Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council staff and independent estimators will review the cost estimates in detail over the next month prior to the final costs being submitted for approval to both levels of Government in November,” Cr Clarke said.
“If project savings are made, the total cost of the project will come down and both the Council and State Government will share in these savings.”
“This is just the beginning – we have plans for water supplies to the whole State,” said Premier Beattie.
“During the election we committed to invest an extra $420 million for new dams, weirs, water storages and pipelines in regional and rural Queensland, and we will deliver,” he said.
/ends
September 24, 2006
Media contacts: Premier’s Office 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s Office 322 46900
On Friday, Premier Peter Beattie and Infrastructure Minister Anna Bligh witnessed first hand the inaugural roll-out of steel pipes which are pivotal to shoring up and connecting South East Queensland’s water supplies amid the most devastating drought on record.
Mr Beattie said more than 17,000 tonnes of steel pipes would be needed for the Southern Regional Water Pipeline of the Beattie Government’s water grid which will connect the water supplies of Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Tyco Water at Carole Park, west of Brisbane, has begun manufacturing the initial supplies of pipes for the 100km route, and for the 200km Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline.
The grid will connect water from water storage facilities and treatment plants including:
• Wivenhoe Dam
• North Pine Dam
• Somerset Dam
• Hinze Dam
• Leslie Harrison Dam
• Ewan Maddock Dam
• The Gold Coast desalination plant
• Cedar Grove Weir
“This will take the new liquid gold to the drought-ravaged areas where it is most needed,” Mr Beattie said.
“What is happening at this steel plant near Ipswich is history in the making – it’s about producing the pipes to build the water grid that will ultimately keep water flowing around South East Queensland.
“What we are experiencing is not a normal drought – it is the worst in South East Queensland’s history.
“That, combined with climate change and population growth, has placed us under enormous pressure but that’s also why the Government has joined forces with councils across the South East to build a water grid.
“In a nutshell, the only way we are going to overcome the drought is to establish pipelines between dams, both old and new, to move water from area to area, according to the most urgent need.
“So, what we are seeing happening at Tyco Water is crucial to our future.
“The construction of a water grid was a key commitment of my Government at the recent State Election and this is another sign that we are intent on delivering that commitment.”
Ms Bligh said Tyco has boosted its staff by 90 workers to cope with the demand of manufacturing up to 100 pipes a day over the next five months for the two pipelines.
She said the first batch of pipes produced by Tyco for both pipelines are expected to be laid in Ipswich in October.
“The SEQ water grid represents a massive investment in major water infrastructure including around 400km of new pipeline connections that will ensure a continued and reliable supply of liquid gold for the South East,” she said.
“We are working to very tight timeframes to ensure the pipelines are operating by the end of 2008.
“These projects are front and centre of my mind every day and we have to deliver.
“The water grid is a major undertaking, but a critical one to ensure a sustainable water supply for the people of south-east Queensland into the future.”
Additionally, Mr Beattie and Ms Bligh said the pipes being produced by Tyco would allow larger water users like power stations to avoid using precious drinking water from dams.
“The Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme will have the capacity to supply up to 230ML of recycled water per day to industrial users including power stations by December 2008, with the first stage to be completed by July 2007,” Ms Bligh said.
“This will replace approximately 90ML of drinking water currently used by power stations, with the remainder available to replace supplies used by other industrial and agricultural users.
Last week, Ms Bligh also took the Government’s water projects another step forward when she joined Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke to turn the first sod to mark the start of early works on the site of the desalination plant at Tugun – the largest in Queensland.
“Cost estimates prepared by the GCD Alliance – a consortium of organisations appointed to deliver the project – have now been provided to the Gold Coast City Council and the State Government,” Ms Bligh said.
“The cost estimate for the plant, tunnels and pump station connection is about $869 million for the 125 million litre a day plant.
“This reflects the fact that the plant is more than double the capacity of the original plant proposed by Council.
“When our Government bought into the project we not only sought to double the capacity of the plant but also to connect it to Brisbane through the Water Grid – which was also not part of the original proposal under consideration by Gold Coast City Council.
“The Alliance estimates that the cost of the pipelines and associated reservoir connections would cost about a further $257 million.”
Cr Clarke said a number of elements had underpinned the preliminary cost including the acceleration of the project’s delivery date to the end of 2008 and the highly specialised nature of the works, which required international expertise.
“Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council staff and independent estimators will review the cost estimates in detail over the next month prior to the final costs being submitted for approval to both levels of Government in November,” Cr Clarke said.
“If project savings are made, the total cost of the project will come down and both the Council and State Government will share in these savings.”
“This is just the beginning – we have plans for water supplies to the whole State,” said Premier Beattie.
“During the election we committed to invest an extra $420 million for new dams, weirs, water storages and pipelines in regional and rural Queensland, and we will deliver,” he said.
/ends
September 24, 2006
Media contacts: Premier’s Office 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s Office 322 46900