Hanson breathes new life into Bradfield’s grand water plan

The government has opened the door to Pauline Hanson’s demand to revive the gigantic 1930s Bradfield water plan.

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson. Picture: AAP

The government has opened the door a crack to Pauline Hanson’s audacious demand that in exchange for One Nation supporting tax reform, it revive the gigantic 1930s Bradfield water infrastructure plan.

This week Senator Hanson demanded a new coal-fired power station, a water diversion scheme and a royal commission into family law as conditions for helping pass the income tax cuts package, saying she was “not likely” to support the entire proposal.

“I want to see the Bradfield Scheme to ensure water security in Australia,” she said, referring to the ambitious project proposed by Queensland-born civil engineer John Bradfield to turn northern Queensland rivers south to drought-proof south west Queensland and parts of South Australia through a massive network of pipes, tunnels, and dams.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who holds the water infrastructure portfolio, told The Australian the government would “lead a robust and science-based assessment of Australia’s water resources to identify real opportunities where new water infrastructure can be built.”

“This is the vision John Bradfield had in the 1930s,” he said.

“We have enough water, we just need to harvest and harness it better.”

Water Resources Minister David Littleproud said “we need to look at what parts of the Bradfield scheme could work in current conditions”.