Multi-million dollar plan to boost berries, melons and grapes in the Caboolture region with waste water irrigation scheme

RECYCLED water could be used to create an irrigation scheme to boost production of high-value crops to the north and west of Caboolture.

Wamuran berry grower Peter Warner inside one of the tunnels used to grow raspberries and blueberries.

RECYCLED water could be used to create an irrigation scheme designed to boost production to the north and west of Caboolture.

Moreton Bay Regional Council has launched an investigation into the idea to service existing farms and to facilitate more farms in the Wamuran and Glass House Mountains districts.

Cr Adrian Raedel (Div 12) said a scheme using Class A recycled water would particularly promote crops needing a lot of water, such as berries, melons and table grapes.

He said it was a growing industry which already produced millions of punnets of berries a year.

Although Cr Raedel said it would likely cost tens of millions of dollars, it was still too early to say if ratepayer or domestic water users would foot the bill.

"Can't rule it out, can't rule it in, but more than likely it will be the water users," he said.

Mick Gallace is director of berry growing company Sunnyridge, which has farms at Wamuran and Elimbah. He said a similar scheme - where growers paid for that system - had been successful on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

Mr Gallace said such a scheme would be ideal for the region, where the highest water use was from September-January.

However, the price had to be right. "It has to be around $250 a megalitre," he said.

The recycled water would also need to be mixed with rainwater or groundwater, because treated water had a higher salinity.

Wamuran strawberry grower Bill Sharpe doubted that strawberry growers would be interested in the scheme, as they already had good water supplies.

Mr Sharpe said strawberries only needed large amounts of water in the first two weeks after planting.

Cr Raedel said it would ultimately be up to Unitywater to determine what the recycled water would cost.