Joint media release: $9 million to improve waterflow on the Cassowary Coast

Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water, the Hon Glenn Butcher

The Albanese Labor Government has partnered with the Miles Government, local councils and community groups to deliver local infrastructure projects across Queensland that help safeguard water resources and protect our natural environment.

Under the new $211 million Water Infrastructure for Sustainable and Efficient Regions (WISER) initiative, the Cassowary Coast Leak Reduction project in north Queensland will receive $9 million.

This project will upgrade water mains by replacing parts of the ageing pipelines across regional towns Tully, Innisfail and Nyletta, and install infrastructure to help identify and manage future leakages. This will achieve significant water savings of around 588 megalitres per year.

The $9 million project is supported by $4 million in matched funding from the Australian Government, through the National Water Grid Fund, and the Queensland Government, with a $978,000 contribution from the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.

The WISER initiative is supporting 23 projects to deliver more efficient and sustainable water use in regional communities across Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia.

Helping to drive the nation’s transition to a circular economy, many of the projects will be powered by renewable energy, use recycled materials, and refurbish existing structures to reduce the construction footprint.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“This is a really exciting project that will deliver significant water savings for the communities of Tully, Innisfail and Nyletta.

“It’s a pleasure to work with the Queensland Government and the Cassowary Coast Regional Council to secure a sustainable future for both our environment and future generations.”

Quotes attributable to Queensland Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher:

“The Miles Labor Government continues to deliver for the people of the Cassowary Coast.

“This funding is helping to put downward pressure on rates and water bills – and it’s really important to Cassowary Coast’s tourism industry.

“I’m so pleased to be able to partner with the Australian Government and the council to deliver critical water infrastructure upgrades for the local community.

“Regional Queensland is no stranger to the devastating impact of severe tropical cyclones, storms and floods, as well as droughts, so it’s a constant focus for us to continually improve and maintain the water infrastructure to ensure the reliable delivery of safe, clean drinking water for these communities.”

Quotes attributable to Senator for Queensland Nita Green:

“Cassowary Coast Regional Council has been identified in National Performance Reports on urban water utilities as the utility provider with the highest real water losses in Australia – that means we must act now before the situation worsens.

“By replacing sections of the ageing pipe network, we will reduce water losses from leakage and save around 235 Olympic swimming pools worth of water per year.

“Our aim is that this project will reduce the frequency of costly network failures when sediment enters waterways, whilst also improving water reliability for the community.”

Quotes attributable to Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mayor Teresa Millwood:

“Although our region is in the wet tropics, we still encounter issues around water sustainability and efficiency, due to aging infrastructure.

“The investment from all three levels of government is crucial and timely to help us combat the failures we are seeing in our aged reticulated network, which not only impacts the continuity of water supply to our residents, but also sees precious water resources go down the drain.”