A new report on water demand reveals Cairns’ residents using 70 per cent more than SEQ residents

A Far North advocacy group is calling for the council and residents to tighten their nozzles after a new report revealed shocking levels of water usage in Cairns compared to other Queensland cities.

Environmental advocates have encouraged Cairns Regional Council to tighten water demand management as a new report showed Cairns residential water usage levels were far higher, per capita, than other cities in Queensland.

The report by consultancy firm Natural Capital Economics, prepared at the request of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC), revealed Cairns’ residents used, daily, 57 per cent more water than Mackay residents and 70 per cent more than SEQ residents.

The report also found if Cairns’ residents cut usage to Mackay levels the city would use less water in 2041 than it currently does even when accounting for population growth projections, relieving pressure on supply interventions such as the council’s $107.5m water security project, which will extract water from the Mulgrave River.

Bronwyn Opie, a spokeswoman for CAFNEC, acknowledged the city’s eventual need for further supply but said council should first focus on ambitious demand-side interventions.

“Council’s goal for demand management is a ten per cent reduction by 2025 … that’s not very ambitious,” Ms Opie said.

The Cairns and Far North Environment Centre has released the Cairns Water Comparison Analysis Report, comparing Cairns' water usage to other regional centres. CAFNEC community campaigner Bronwyn Opie wants to see the council invest in water tanks and water conservation. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We’re asking council to take water management more seriously. Demand-side interventions are cheaper, more effective, more resilient to climate change and would reduce residents’ water bills.”

Ms Opie said, in light of the report, CAFNEC had three policy recommendations for Cairns council, including: financial incentives; community education; and, subsidised rainwater tanks.

“Compared to Mackay and Townsville, Cairns currently has the lowest charges and fees for water use, including the fixed connection fee and the variable volumetric charge. Cairns also offers no incentives within this pricing structure to benefit residents that are managing their use, or penalise residents that are using excessively,” she said.

“Cairns could implement a tiered water consumption rate or a multi-priced plan that would provide extra incentive to residents to reduce their water consumption beyond a point.”

The council has already doused calls for subsidised rainwater tanks as a policy option, considering it an “ineffective” idea that “would contribute very little to reducing mains water use” because the region’s annual rainfall mostly comes in the wet season.

The Copperlode Dam, also known as Lake Morris, is the City of Cairns' main water supply, spilling over into Freshwater Creek in the Redlynch Valley. Picture: Brendan Radke

Ms Opie said this reality doesn’t discount the fact rainwater tanks would reduce demand for mains water during the wet season.

“The report’s analysis shows Cairns water usage doesn’t follow rainfall highs and lows, which means we don’t take advantage of high rainfall during the wet season,” she said.

“Water can be pooling in residents’ yards but they still have the same amount coming out of their taps.”

Mark Wuth, the council’s director of infrastructure and assets, said the installation of smart water meters was an effective water demand management tool which had been proven to reduce consumption in the past.

“The community-wide rollout of smart water (meters) in Cairns will start in 2023, which will enable customers to track their water use, and identify potential property leakages, in real-time,” Mr Wuth said.

“Council expects this will, as it did in Mackay, deliver significant water savings and assist with demand management.

“The impact of Council’s demand management approach is significant, delivering a 38 per cent reduction in water usage per capita in Cairns from 2006 to 2021.

“There are no plans at this stage to change council’s water pricing structure.”

Originally published as A new report on water demand reveals Cairns’ residents using 70 per cent more than SEQ residents