FEDERAL FUNDING TO FLOW FOR THE MAREEBA-DIMBULAH WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

THE Liberal and Nationals Government will provide $11.6 million towards the modernisation of the Mareeba‑Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme in northern Queensland, providing increased water availability and reliability to growers within the Atherton Tablelands.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael McCormack said this was an important project for Queensland, as increased water availability would benefit agricultural production and communities.

“Modernising the Mareeba‑Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme will tackle transmission losses, poor service delivery and water use inefficiency by constructing 4.5-kilometres of pressurised pipeline and the provision of 8,306 megalitres annually of high-security water to the region,” Mr McCormack said.

“The project is expected to create up to 75 direct jobs, 30 indirect locally-based jobs and a further 189 indirect jobs in the region. It will also generate around $20 million per year in increased agricultural production, which is great to see.”

Senator for Queensland Ian Macdonald said improved service delivery and a reduction in travel time for water to reach growers from Tinaroo Falls Dams would allow irrigators to better manage and meet crop water demands in the 17,000 hectares of irrigated land serviced by the scheme.

“Water use within the scheme supports irrigation of a wide range of crops including sugar cane, bananas, mangoes, avocados, papaya, lychees, citrus, coffee, tea trees and a variety of vegetable crops, which is why we are getting on with this upgrade,” Senator Macdonald said.

“These are key exports from the region to domestic and international markets, and this upgrade will ensure producers retain a reliable water supply to meet market demand.

“Funding for the Mareeba‑Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme modernisation will be delivered under the Australian Government’s $580 million National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, an initiative of the White Papers on Agricultural Competitiveness and Developing Northern Australia.”

The Australian Government is committing $11.6 million towards the $28.1 million project, which will be delivered by the Queensland Government through SunWater.

For more information visit https://infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/water-infrastructure/nwi-development-fund/.

Shane Manning