Great Artesian Basin water savings to increase
Published Monday, 23 October, 2006 at 02:32 PM
Minister for Natural Resources and Water
The Honourable Kerry Shine
The Queensland Government projects water savings in the Great Artesian Basin will increase to 175,000 megalitres each year by 2009.
Natural Resources and Water Minister Kerry Shine said the Government had committed $22.5 Million over four years to the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI) program, which encourages landholders to participate in the capping of bores and bore replacement.
The Great Artesian Basin covers a large part of the State and stores over 65,000 million megalitres of water and has played a major role in the development of outback Queensland.
To date, more than 137,000 megalitres of water is being saved each year. By 2009, the annual water savings are expected to increase to 175,000 megalitres,” Mr Shine said.
To date, 728 bores in the Great Artesian Basin have been rehabilitated or piped and 7880 kilometres of bore drains replaced in the Queensland section of the Basin. By 2009, a further 170 bores will be rehabilitated or piped.
Work under GABSI this financial year (2006-07) is expected to involve rehabilitation or piping of 65 bores, providing approximately an additional 14,000 megalitres of water to be saved each year.”
Speaking from Longreach, Mr Shine said the additional funding of $500,000 over three years through the Blueprint for the Bush was for for the High-Priority Artesian Bore Capping Initiative.
“These works will focus on high priority artesian bores that involve a high degree of difficulty to access and decommission by limiting the maximum landholder contribution to such works at $20,000,” Mr Shine said.
“This work is expected to save more than of 7000 megalitres each year.”
Under GABSI, the cost of eligible projects is offset with up to an 80% subsidy funded by the Queensland and Australian Governments.
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3896 3689 or 0418 197 350