Council ready with Burdekin water contingency plan
Date published: 27 January 2016
Townsville City Council has approved a contingency plan for the city’s water security to safeguard against another failed wet season.
The council already has rights to pump 10,000 megalitres of Burdekin Dam water with Sunwater, and has until March 31 to purchase a further allocation of 35,000 megalitres of high priority water, enough to supply the city through to mid 2017.
A full meeting of council today gave the Chief Executive Officer Ray Burton authority to proceed to secure the allocation should it be required when the council is in caretaker mode for the March election.
The cost to purchase the additional water allocation is $7.9 million. Pumping and other associated costs are estimated to be $12.4 million.
Mayor Cr Jenny Hill said the additional water option was a critical contingency for the city’s water security.
“While there is still a prospect of rain this summer, with the Ross Dam at 22% the city needs a contingency plan in place should the wet season fail again for the third year running,” Cr Hill said.
“The council argued successfully to have the original deadline for the water option pushed back from November to the end of March to provide us with more time to see if we receive sufficient rain to restock the dam.
“The deadline is during the caretaker period for the election and therefore we need to provide the CEO with delegated authority to proceed with the purchase of the water rights on the city’s behalf if we don’t get substantial rain in the catchment in the meantime.
“We also have to be mindful that the costs of pumping throughout the year if we don’t get a wet season will impact on next year’s budget.
“Meantime, the council is progressing with the detail design work on the duplication of the Burdekin pipeline for the longer term water security for the city.”
Townsville Water and Waste Committee chairman Cr Ray Gartrell said the council was acting responsibly by having the water allocation plan ready.
“We have to have the water ready to flow and by having a year’s supply from the Burdekin there if we need it leaves nothing to chance,” Cr Gartrell said.
The council will consider pumping water from the Burdekin Dam via the Haughton River pipeline when the city’s primary water storage facility the Ross Dam is between 20% and 10%.
Townsville is currently on Level 2 restrictions with the Ross Dam at 22%. Level 3 restrictions come in when the dam drops to 20% which occur in mid-February without further rain.
