Joint media release: Rookwood Weir water flowing to Central Queenslanders

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

• Rookwood Weir delivers first water
• Weir is creating hundreds of new agricultural jobs in Central Queensland, with macadamias and other intensive horticulture projects underway
• Weir project receives further recognition for sustainability performance

Rookwood Weir celebrated another milestone as Queensland Water Minister Glenn Butcher joined customers to celebrate water from Rookwood Weir flowing to Central Queensland irrigators.

Customers for Australia’s newest major water infrastructure asset began accessing Rookwood Weir water in August 2024.

It is estimated at least 500 full time jobs will be created through agricultural growth thanks to Rookwood Weir.

Rural Funds Management is the first customer to take water from the weir, using it to irrigate macadamia orchards in the Lower Fitzroy. The water from Rookwood Weir is enabling the company to plant 800,000 macadamia trees over 2,500 hectares of orchards within the Fitzroy region, west of Rockhampton.

More weir customers are expected to use water for their operations in the coming weeks and months.

The weir is providing a significant boost to the region’s water security and will drive economic growth and job creation for generations to come.

More than 36,000 megalitres of water from the weir has been allocated to agricultural use, with a mix of small businesses and larger enterprises now able to expand or diversify their operations.

Last month, the Infrastructure Sustainability Council awarded the Rookwood Weir project an “excellent” rating for sustainability performance during the weir’s construction.

This recognition follows the project winning the 2023 Premier’s Award for Excellence and being named joint winner of the Queensland Major Contractors Association’s Project of the Year Over $100M Award.

Construction of the weir was completed in November 2023, while the process to test the weir’s infrastructure was finalised in April 2024.

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

“It is wonderful to see water flowing from Rookwood Weir and onto the farms of Central Queensland.

“Labor has delivered a world-class piece of water infrastructure that will create jobs and boost economic growth in Central Queensland for many years to come.

“Water from the weir will support primary industry, from grain, fruit, and nut cropping, to livestock production.”

Quotes attributable to Queensland Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher:

“Water being available from the weir is an important milestone and the culmination of years of planning and hard work.

“This is an asset that will yield 86,000 megalitres each year to boost economic growth, agricultural production and industry in Central Queensland.

“One thing’s for sure – if you want water infrastructure, if you want regional jobs – it’s only the Labor party that can deliver for Central Queensland.

“At a time when the LNP are talking about themselves, nuclear power and who knows what, we’re continuing to get on with the job of delivering infrastructure to Central Queensland.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Rockhampton, Barry O’Rourke:

“The construction of Rookwood Weir provided more than 350 jobs and invested more than $270 million into the local economy.

“With water now flowing for businesses, the weir will continue to support economic growth whether through the creation of local jobs or the delivery of flow-on impacts in the supply chain for local businesses."

Quotes attributable to Rural Funds Group National Manager, Dan Edwards:

"We are pleased to be utilising water from the Rookwood Weir to support our macadamia orchard operations along the Lower Fitzroy River."

"This reliable water allocation is critical to our development plans, which will require a significant local workforce with a more diverse skill set being developed within the region.

“The Rookwood Weir provides a fantastic opportunity for procurement from the local community for goods and services to support our development and operations.”

Quotes attributable to Sunwater CEO, Glenn Stockton:

“This is the culmination of years of hard work by hundreds of people to plan, construct and deliver Rookwood Weir.

“It is great to see businesses now taking water and Sunwater looks forward to partnering with our customers in the years to come to deliver water for prosperity across Central Queensland.”

Further information

The Queensland and Australian Labor Governments each contributed $183.6 million to the total $568.9 million project spend, and Sunwater funded the remainder.