Rookwood Weir milestones flow as project moves into new stage
Published Friday, 18 June, 2021 at 01:56 PM
Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water
The Honourable Glenn Butcher
Another milestone has been reached as the construction of Rookwood Weir ramps up, with the Queensland Government amending the Fitzroy Basin water plan to accommodate the project.
Minister for Water Glenn Butcher said the amended water plan continued to support existing agricultural enterprises in the region while providing opportunities for new economic development to occur.
“Rookwood Weir is a $367 million water infrastructure investment to drive new economic and employment opportunities for the agricultural industry and the community of Central Queensland,” he said
“The thousands of megalitres of water from Rookwood Weir will underpin agricultural, industrial and urban growth in Central Queensland.”
“Water sourced from the Fitzroy Basin water plan area sustains significant areas of agriculture, livestock, industry, mining and generation of electricity,” Mr Butcher said.
“The amended water plan is the result of 12 months of public consultation and scientific analysis to ensure the water from Rookwood Weir supports local environmental, cultural, agricultural and urban needs into the future.”
Among other provisions the revised water plan ensures at least 50 per cent of water sold to the market from Rookwood Weir is used for agricultural purposes and supports rules and requirements regarding water trading, water sharing, environmental management and monitoring.
Through consultation with local irrigators in the region, the Fitzroy Basin’s water management protocol has also been updated to:
- provide for the management of the water resource across all water users in the area
- build flexibility and resilience to better manage future demand for water
- provide security for growers, water users, industry, banks and investors.
The release of the amended water plan comes as Sunwater and its construction partners continue to deliver on-site works at Rookwood Weir.
The project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, each contributing $183.6 million, and is being delivered in partnership with Sunwater.
Read more about Rookwood Weir and view the amended Fitzroy Basin water plan and associated documents at www.rdmw.qld.gov.au.
[ENDS].
Media contact: Daniel Lato 0438 891 158