The Urannah Water Scheme Stacks Up
The recently completed draft Detailed Business Case (DBC) for the nation-building Urannah Water Scheme supports the construction of Urannah Dam and highlights the benefits it will bring to the region.
Bowen River Utilities (BRU) has finalised the draft DBC and is currently consulting with stakeholders on the findings before publicly releasing the final DBC later this month.
The draft DBC supports the construction of 970,000 megalitre dam which will deliver an annual yield of 103,000 megalitres of high priority water. Along with a new pipeline to Moranbah to deliver reliable water to customers in the Bowen Basin and a pipeline corridor to Peter Faust Dam to future proof water security for the Whitsunday region, the project will deliver a 0.95 Benefit Cost Ratio, making it one of the most beneficial water projects in the country.
Combine this with the vision inherited from Bowen Collinsville Enterprise to deliver ‘food, water and energy security for North Queensland’ and the benefits are even greater.
The enabling water infrastructure ensures that for every $1 invested in the entire project by Government, at least $2 will return to the taxpayer.
Co-located with the Urannah Dam will be the Bowen Renewable Energy Hub with a generation capacity of 1.4GW and eight hours of storage. The close proximity to the grid will enable 500,000 Queensland households to access firm green power.
BRU Director, Mr John Cotter, outlined the extensive work that has been undertaken to reach this important milestone.
“Our project team has worked tirelessly on the Detailed Business Case because we understand how water can transform a region and we are committed to seeing the potential of North Queensland realised.
“The sums have been done, numbers have been crunched and ultimately the DBC shows that the Urannah Water Scheme stacks up.
“Not only will Urannah Dam diversify the local economy, but it will also create 1200 construction jobs, 650 ongoing jobs and can unlock the potential of 70 local projects that require water.
“Water security can unlock the potential of the North and ensure there are jobs for future generations while also building Australia’s sovereign capability,” said Mr Cotter.
Comments on the draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) closed on 29 January 2021 and the Queensland Coordinator General is currently in the process of considering all comments submitted before releasing the final Terms of Reference.
Upon the finalisation of the DBC, BRU will work with the community and stakeholders to continue to drive the project forward to deliver much needed jobs for hardworking Queenslanders.