GAB WATER ALLOCATION WILL BOOST GROWTH IN RURAL QUEENSLAND
Published Thursday, 06 September, 2007 at 01:08 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Minister for Natural Resources and Water and Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland
The Honourable Craig Wallace
Premier Peter Beattie and Water Minister Craig Wallace today announced that towns, feedlots, power stations and mines will benefit from 17,200 megalitres of unallocated water being released in parts of the Great Artesian Basin.
Mr Beattie said 7200 megalitres would be available in the Surat Basin as general reserve water in the areas around Inglewood, St George, Miles and Roma.
He said the water was likely to be most attractive to feedlots or other agricultural producers and some mines.
Mr Beattie said a further 10,000 megalitres was available across most of the wider Great Artesian Basin as state reserve water to supplement town water supplies and for significant projects including power stations and some large coal mines.
The area that could benefit extends from Cape York in the north, south through Richmond and Longreach, to Birdsville and Goondiwindi and to Miles in the south.
The state reserve is likely to be of interest to local governments, mining companies, power stations and coal gasification plants, boosting jobs and development in regional Queensland.
So far most of the interest in this water is coming from the western Darling Downs and Surat Basin areas.
“This release of water is about ensuring Queensland’s prosperity while protecting the natural heritage and biodiversity of the Great Artesian Basin,” Mr Beattie said.
“While some areas of Queensland are experiencing severe water shortages, other areas do have water that can be released for productive use,” he said.
“The water is being released after completion of the Water Resource Plan and Resource Operation Plan for the Great Artesian Basin, including extensive public consultation.”
Mr Wallace said this exhaustive water planning ensured the sustainability of the GAB was protected.
He said the 7200 megalitres general reserve water available in the Surat Basin was likely to be released through a tendering process, if demand indicated that this was the most efficient way of granting the water.
Mr Wallace said eligible landholders in the Surat, Surat East and Surat North management areas of the Great Artesian Basin should register their interest in the water with the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
These water releases in the GAB need to comply with the spring protection requirements and criteria for protecting existing entitlements set out in the Great Artesian Basin Resource Operations Plan 2006.
Mr Wallace said further water releases could occur in parts of the Great Artesian Basin outside the Surat Basin should there be sufficient demand.
“Such possible future releases would only happen according to the rules set out in the Great Artesian Basin Resource Operations Plan,” he said.
The first licences granted as a result of this water release are likely to be issued in the middle of next year, following assessment of tenders and applications against the Great Artesian Basin Resource Operations Plan requirements.
Another way to access water from the Great Artesian Basin is through new procedures that allow eligible licence holders to transfer their water licences to others, or to relocate their licences to new locations. This is of particular use for those seeking Great Artesian Basin water in areas where there is limited unallocated water available.
The rules covering these licence relocations are set out in the Resource Operations Plan.
This effectively facilitates a market in Great Artesian Basin water licences, separate to the release of unallocated water.
For more information contact the Department of Natural Resources and Water, Brisbane on 07 3224 7503. A detailed map of the Surat Basin release area and application forms are available from the Toowoomba office of the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Minister’s office: Caroline Kaurila on 0414 213 954
6 September 2007
Mr Beattie said 7200 megalitres would be available in the Surat Basin as general reserve water in the areas around Inglewood, St George, Miles and Roma.
He said the water was likely to be most attractive to feedlots or other agricultural producers and some mines.
Mr Beattie said a further 10,000 megalitres was available across most of the wider Great Artesian Basin as state reserve water to supplement town water supplies and for significant projects including power stations and some large coal mines.
The area that could benefit extends from Cape York in the north, south through Richmond and Longreach, to Birdsville and Goondiwindi and to Miles in the south.
The state reserve is likely to be of interest to local governments, mining companies, power stations and coal gasification plants, boosting jobs and development in regional Queensland.
So far most of the interest in this water is coming from the western Darling Downs and Surat Basin areas.
“This release of water is about ensuring Queensland’s prosperity while protecting the natural heritage and biodiversity of the Great Artesian Basin,” Mr Beattie said.
“While some areas of Queensland are experiencing severe water shortages, other areas do have water that can be released for productive use,” he said.
“The water is being released after completion of the Water Resource Plan and Resource Operation Plan for the Great Artesian Basin, including extensive public consultation.”
Mr Wallace said this exhaustive water planning ensured the sustainability of the GAB was protected.
He said the 7200 megalitres general reserve water available in the Surat Basin was likely to be released through a tendering process, if demand indicated that this was the most efficient way of granting the water.
Mr Wallace said eligible landholders in the Surat, Surat East and Surat North management areas of the Great Artesian Basin should register their interest in the water with the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
These water releases in the GAB need to comply with the spring protection requirements and criteria for protecting existing entitlements set out in the Great Artesian Basin Resource Operations Plan 2006.
Mr Wallace said further water releases could occur in parts of the Great Artesian Basin outside the Surat Basin should there be sufficient demand.
“Such possible future releases would only happen according to the rules set out in the Great Artesian Basin Resource Operations Plan,” he said.
The first licences granted as a result of this water release are likely to be issued in the middle of next year, following assessment of tenders and applications against the Great Artesian Basin Resource Operations Plan requirements.
Another way to access water from the Great Artesian Basin is through new procedures that allow eligible licence holders to transfer their water licences to others, or to relocate their licences to new locations. This is of particular use for those seeking Great Artesian Basin water in areas where there is limited unallocated water available.
The rules covering these licence relocations are set out in the Resource Operations Plan.
This effectively facilitates a market in Great Artesian Basin water licences, separate to the release of unallocated water.
For more information contact the Department of Natural Resources and Water, Brisbane on 07 3224 7503. A detailed map of the Surat Basin release area and application forms are available from the Toowoomba office of the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Minister’s office: Caroline Kaurila on 0414 213 954
6 September 2007