No water pipeline funding allocated as State Government considers feasibility study from June

A war of words between Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Nanango MP Deb Frecklington has provided an insight into progress on the Toowoomba to Warwick water pipeline.

The State Government has confirmed there is no capital funding currently allocated for the construction of a Toowoomba to Warwick water pipeline.

Under questioning in yesterday’s Queensland Parliament Estimates Committee, Seqwater CEO Neil Brennan said Seqwater had been requested by the State Government to complete a feasibility study of options to improve water security for Warwick and surrounding communities.

A preliminary report was submitted to the government in January 2020 and a feasibility report in June 2020 “confirmed that a Toowoomba to Warwick pipeline remained the preferred solution”.

“On further direction, we will continue to work with the government stakeholders, including Toowoomba (Regional) Council and Southern Downs Regional Council, on the pipelines projects,” he said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in January this year that a pipeline “could” be delivering water to the Southern Downs and Granite Belt by the end of the year.

Nanango MP and Opposition spokesperson for Water and the Construction of Dams Deb Frecklington asked Mr Brennan in estimates “whether we can expect to be cutting the ribbon on this pipeline before Christmas?”

She then suggested the Premier had announced the pipeline would be open by the end of the year and tabled the Premier’s statement from January.

“This is the one where the Premier announced a pipeline could be delivering water to the Southern Downs?” committee chair and Bancroft MP Chris Whiting asked.

“Could. So there is no pipeline,” Mrs Frecklington replied.

This led to accusations from Dr Miles that Mrs Frecklington had been “caught out misleading the committee”, which Mrs Frecklington denied.

Eventually responding to the original question after more back and forth between the two, Dr Miles said Seqwater’s consideration had been provided to the government and it would make a decision.

“The rainfall … in February that extended Warwick’s water supply to late 2022 obviously provided some flexibility in time frame there. That will be taken into account,” he said.

Originally published as No water pipeline funding allocated as State Government considers feasibility study from June