Published Tuesday, 29 May, 2007 at 01:28 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
STATE GOVERNMENT BOOST FOR WATER PIPELINE
The State Government will provide an extra $630 million to help deliver a bigger and better recycled water pipeline faster, Premier Peter Beattie and Deputy Premier Anna Bligh announced today.
Mr Beattie said the funding boost would provide up to an extra 22 million litres a day to be pumped into Wivenhoe Dam.
He said as a result of the changes the project was expected to be brought in two months ahead of schedule in October 2008.
“There is no sign of the drought breaking,” Mr Beattie said.
“We have the opportunity now to modify the design of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project to increase capacity by up to 30%, and given the bleak outlook for rainfall, we believe this is a prudent and sensible planning decision.
“The key aspects of the expansion are the upgrade of the Gibson Island Advanced Water Treatment Plant and the construction of the off-take for purified recycled water into Wivenhoe Dam.”
Mr Beattie said the additional funds would take the total budget for the Western Corridor Recycled Project to almost $2.4 Billion.
He said no additional funds would be sought from the Commonwealth Government.
“We are in a strong financial position and to be frank we simply cannot wait for the Howard Government to stall and play politics on a such a vital water project,” Mr Beattie said.
“They took months to cough up for the original project and today we are seeing Malcolm Turnbull once again playing silly games – this time with our northern interconnector pipeline.
“My message to Mr Turnbull is simple – play politics and Queensland will run dry.”
Ms Bligh said under the original plan the total capacity of the Western Corridor Recycled Project was 210 megalitres a day.
“With the help of this new funding the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project will have an average capacity of 232 megalitres a day and there is potential to further increase capacity to produce an average of 310 megalitres a day,” she said.
“Upgrading the facilities at Luggage Point, Gibson Island and Bundamba now will allow us to capitalise quickly if more source water becomes available or other wastewater treatment plants come on-line. This investment now will pay dividends in the future.”
Ms Bligh said the additional funds included money for off-take pipeline to pump recycled water into Wivenhoe Dam, additional microfiltration and ultraviolet filtration, additional substations, extra plant and equipment, longer shifts, increased storage reservoirs, upsizing of discharge lines and additional earthworks.
Table: Average capacity of Western Corridor Recycled Water Project
29 May, 2007
Further inquiries: Premier’s Office: 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s Office: 3224 4379
Mr Beattie said the funding boost would provide up to an extra 22 million litres a day to be pumped into Wivenhoe Dam.
He said as a result of the changes the project was expected to be brought in two months ahead of schedule in October 2008.
“There is no sign of the drought breaking,” Mr Beattie said.
“We have the opportunity now to modify the design of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project to increase capacity by up to 30%, and given the bleak outlook for rainfall, we believe this is a prudent and sensible planning decision.
“The key aspects of the expansion are the upgrade of the Gibson Island Advanced Water Treatment Plant and the construction of the off-take for purified recycled water into Wivenhoe Dam.”
Mr Beattie said the additional funds would take the total budget for the Western Corridor Recycled Project to almost $2.4 Billion.
He said no additional funds would be sought from the Commonwealth Government.
“We are in a strong financial position and to be frank we simply cannot wait for the Howard Government to stall and play politics on a such a vital water project,” Mr Beattie said.
“They took months to cough up for the original project and today we are seeing Malcolm Turnbull once again playing silly games – this time with our northern interconnector pipeline.
“My message to Mr Turnbull is simple – play politics and Queensland will run dry.”
Ms Bligh said under the original plan the total capacity of the Western Corridor Recycled Project was 210 megalitres a day.
“With the help of this new funding the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project will have an average capacity of 232 megalitres a day and there is potential to further increase capacity to produce an average of 310 megalitres a day,” she said.
“Upgrading the facilities at Luggage Point, Gibson Island and Bundamba now will allow us to capitalise quickly if more source water becomes available or other wastewater treatment plants come on-line. This investment now will pay dividends in the future.”
Ms Bligh said the additional funds included money for off-take pipeline to pump recycled water into Wivenhoe Dam, additional microfiltration and ultraviolet filtration, additional substations, extra plant and equipment, longer shifts, increased storage reservoirs, upsizing of discharge lines and additional earthworks.
Table: Average capacity of Western Corridor Recycled Water Project
|
ORIGINAL PROJECT |
OCTOBER 2008 |
DECEMBER 2008 |
WITH THE EXPANDED FOOTPRINT FOR FUTURE CAPACITY | |
|
AVERAGE CAPACITY 210ML/DAY |
AVERAGE CAPACITY 182 ML/DAY |
AVERAGE CAPACITY 232ML/DAY |
AVERAGE CAPACITY 310ML/DAY |
29 May, 2007
Further inquiries: Premier’s Office: 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s Office: 3224 4379