BAN LIFTED, BUT TOWN SUPPLIES REMAIN PROTECTED

Water Minister Craig Wallace today removed the existing water harvesting ban on the Condamine catchment following recent flows in the middle and lower sections of the river system.

Mr Wallace said the department was, however, continuing to safeguard town water supplies by returning to a ‘delayed start’ limitation for the upper part of the catchment.

“We banned water harvesting in the Condamine Catchment on June 6 this year while further assessment was done to ensure flows provided the best possible benefit to town water supply weirs,” Mr Wallace said.

The ban helped ensure the majority of stock and domestic supplies in the trunk and tributary streams below Loudon Weir were replenished while Warra Weir filled, enabling Warra to stop trucking in supplies for its residents, Mr Wallace said.

“Chinchilla Weir also received important inflows, alleviating the critical water supply situation the town was facing by September.”

Mr Wallace said conditions above Loudon Weir near Dalby were, however, largely unchanged from the period before the storms.

“Both Loudon and Cecil Plains Weir are all but dry. Steps need to be taken to ensure that when we get rain in this part of the catchment that town water supplies are given every chance to replenish.”

Mr Wallace said the ban generated considerable discussion within the water user community and he had taken into account the concerns raised by stakeholders.

“Based on my department’s reassessment of the situation, we have relaxed the limitations in the lower and middle sections of the catchment and returned to a delayed start operating environment for the upper part of the catchment,” he said.

“This approach involves delaying the start of pumping from when thresholds are reached for eight hours before pumping can occur in the tributaries and upper part of the catchment and increasing for up to 36 hours in the lower main river section.

“This type of approach will continue to protect minor flow events so that more water remains to replenish stock and domestic and town water supplies.

“The water supply for Cecil Plains is critical at the moment, and although Dalby now relies mainly on groundwater for its core supply, it is preferable that if a recharge event comes along, Loudon Weir will receive enough water to overflow so that the water quality in this source improves.

“Low flows create a difficult water management environment, but when water supplies are at critical levels it is important that low flows be better protected to maximise the ‘wetting up’ of the river and the replenishment of town water supply storages,” he said.

“We are trying to ensure the best outcome for all those that live along the Condamine,” Mr Wallace said.

“Department officers will continue to monitor the situation as further flows occur.”

Media contact: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.