BLIGH GOVT HELPS SHUT THE TAP ON OUT-OF-CONTROL GAB BORES

Work is due to start this month on controlling the first of nine particularly difficult free-flowing bores that tap into the Great Artesian Basin in Queensland.

Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace said $500,000 had been allocated under the Queensland Government’s Blueprint for the Bush project to help rural landholders control the nine high-priority bores.

“The project will have significant environmental benefits, saving about 7000 megalitres of water each year,” Mr Wallace said.

“It will also contribute to water pressure recovery of the basin in the area where the works are carried out.

“I’m delighted to announce that the first of these bores, located approximately 130 kilometres north of Julia Creek, will start later this month.

“The rehabilitation of this bore alone will result in an estimated saving of approximately 235 megalitres of flow from the Great Artesian Basin each year.”

Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said preserving the health of the Great Artesian Basin was a high priority for landholders and the Government.

“Concentrating on these bores, which are some of the hardest to cap, shows how dedicated we are to conserving the water resources in the GAB.”

Mr Wallace said the nine bores were put down in the early 1900s and over time they had deteriorated so much that no bore casing could be seen – only large pools of water.

“The first bore to be tackled was constructed in 1912 and originally flowed at nine megalitres a day into bore drains. The bore is currently estimated to be flowing at three megalitres a day. It was constructed of steel casing, none of which is visible within a five metre diameter pool,” he said.

“These bores will take a lot of labour and money to cap. Landholders were reluctant to start rehabilitation work as they had no idea how much they might have to spend.”

Under the initiative, which is managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Water, landholders will pay a maximum of $20,000 for the initial access work on each bore.

The Great Artesian Basin covers an area of 1.7 million square kilometres, with 70 per cent of it lying under Queensland.

The water in it is up to two million years old and flows to the surface at temperatures of up to 100 degrees Celsius.

Media contact: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office on (07) 3896 3689 or 0407 131 654.