Industry backs dam plan

Nullinga project ‘an investment’ in future

INDUSTRY leaders have challenged the State Government to have the foresight to invest in the future of Far North Queensland after the Nullinga Dam proposal was described as “costly” and “challenging” in Queensland Parliament estimates this week.

Building Queensland completed the detailed business case for the $330 million dam in June – the probe finalises the government’s commitment to the project unless more funding becomes available.

Department of Natural Resources and Mines Director General James Purtill told hearings the yet-to-be revealed investigations into the dam evaluated “whether the market has an appetite for the product”.

“Having been to the … site, I believe there are a number of significant challenges for the project,” he said.

“Certainly, on the material that I have seen already, it is an extremely costly project per mega litre in order to proceed.”

Advance Cairns CEO Nick Trompf was not surprised the proposed dam was described as “costly and challenging”.

“But that does not mean it should not go ahead,” he said.

“Every dam built over the years has had those characteristics to varying degrees.

“What is absolutely unambiguous is that there is already huge strain on the Tinaroo Dam scheme and that demand for both agricultural and urban water is only going to increase further in the decades ahead.

“Tinaroo already has by far the most expensive irrigation water in Queensland.”

Mr Purtill told the hearing the modernisation of the Mareeba-Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme currently being undertaken by SunWater would increase water availability for irrigators and once complete would offer an “opportunity” to weigh the “benefits of the two projects”.

Mr Trompf said both future population and agricultural growth relied on the dam.

“Governments need to have the courage and foresight to invest in long term, nation building projects for the benefit of future generations,” he said.

“If the costs of construction could be fully recovered straight away through water rights sales and ongoing fees, then private enterprise would have stepped up long ago.”