Toowoomba Regional Council to consider controversial plan to extract groundwater for irrigation, bottling
A citrus farmer’s plan to extract 18 megalitres of groundwater a year for irrigation and bottling will face a special meeting of the council this week, with nearby landholders planning to oppose it.
Council
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Applicants Mark and Natalie Herlaar submitted plans earlier this year to the Toowoomba Regional Council to pump water from an existing licensed bore to irrigate an established citrus orchard in Merrits Creek, about 20 minutes north of Toowoomba.
But according to the report by TRC planner Geoff Reid, as much as 45 per cent of the water extracted would not be used on the trees.
“Approximately eight to 10 megalitres of water will be used for the continued irrigation of the orchard,” the report said.
“Any remaining portion of the water allocation, up to 18 megalitres, is proposed to be extracted and transported off site for processing and bottling.
“The amount of water extracted or used for irrigation would vary depending on market demand, prevailing weather and crop demands.”
The councillors, who will vote on the matter on Wednesday, do not have jurisdiction over the extraction of the water and will instead assess the infrastructure and impacts associated with the exercise.
The applicants already have the relevant water permits from the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy.
Five submissions were received by the council opposing the plan, with concerns around traffic management, nearby koala colonies and the impact of the extractions on the water table.
The TRC officer responded, saying the applicants had been approved for the exercise by the State Assessment and Referral Agency, saying it “does not adversely impact the water security to other users and their access to the water resource”.
The development has been recommended for approval.
The meeting will be held at the Annex behind City Hall from 2pm.
