The Bowen Pipeline Project, that will take water from the Burdekin River near Home Hill towards Bowen, has taken positive steps forward as the Company announced on July 5, 2023, that it had lodged an application with the Co-ordinator-General for Designation as a Co-ordinated Project.
A spokesman for the Bowen Pipeline Company said the application was under review and the formal application will be lodged following the completion of the review in the very near future.
The Premier’s announcement on July 14, 2023, of the massive South Korean Han-Ho green hydrogen export project in the Abbot Point State Development Area, means that the demand for the pipeline’s water has now exceeded 85 per cent of designed capacity of 80,000ml per year.
In addition to that, the project has:
- Lodged its Commonwealth environmental (EPBC) application
- Secured $5 million Commonwealth Grant for the completion of a Business Case, water demand and engineering design
- Secured private land required for the pipeline alignment and pump stations
- Secured land within the Abbot Point State Development Area for the pipeline and pump station
- Secured annual water allocations from the Burdekin Falls Dam (permanent water allocations discussions to commence with Sunwater)
- The target date for the start of construction is some 21 months away with First Water due 15 months thereafter.
THE Project is a 110 km underground water pipeline commencing 16 km upstream from Home Hill and moving south to Bowen, generally following the brownfield road reserves of the Bruce Highway and will supply 80,000ml of water each year for horticulture, agriculture, industry, tree crops and aquaculture.
The Company indicated that they had bipartisan government support.
The project will allow the creation of a reliable, secure water supply to an area that grows one-fifth of Australia’s vegetables and is Australia’s largest winter vegetable growing area, currently growing some $600m of fruit and vegetables each year.
The project has some 40 investors, the majority being local to Bowen and the Burdekin.
The investigation area has some 80,000 hectares of Class A and B Good Quality Agricultural Land, of which some 40,000 hectares of cleared land is available for conversion from cattle grazing to irrigated horticulture/agriculture/tree crops.
The Project will use world class Australian technology for the onsite extrusion of the HDPE pipe in 100+ metre lengths, generating a reduction of some 4000 B double truck movements and reductions of 1,000,000km and 12,000 hours driving on the roads.
One of the major positives for the Project is the significant benefits to the Great Barrier Reef and the Commonwealth Government’s Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan, that aims to maintain and enhance the Reef’s health and resilience, while allowing ecologically sustainable development.
