Cloud seeding considered if SEQ desalination axed without viable alternative

South East Queensland risks running out of water if the government axes desalination without finding viable alternatives, experts say.

The state government has torn up plans to build a second desalination plant to complement the Gold Coast facility (above).

South East Queensland risks running out of water if the government axes desalination without finding viable alternatives, which could include cloud seeding – experts say.

Water experts insist a back-up option is needed for the growing region’s water security as a population boom puts pressure on existing dams – which they say won’t be enough to survive another millennium drought.

The state government has torn up Labor’s plan to build a second desalination plant to complement the Gold Coast facility, but is yet to detail what alternative water source will be determined.

Cloud seeding has been floated as a possible tool to top-up Queensland’s water supply, but experts say a more consistent long-term solution is needed. The technique – where planes drop particles into forming rainclouds to increase condensation – occurred in Queensland under a $7.6m trial announced by the Beattie government in 2006 at the end of the devastating millennium drought.

An aircraft previously used for cloud seeding in Queensland. Supplied picture

It was trialled during the summer of 2008 and 2009 before being abandoned.

Australian Rivers Institute Director David Hamilton said uncertainty remained around cloud seeding.

“So you have potential to spend a lot of money and have little to show without the knowledge systems that we need to be able to implement it at this stage,” he said.

He warned rain would be more sporadic between heavy amounts, and periods of droughts and said it would be increasingly difficult for the region to rely solely on dams.

Prof Hamilton said Southeast Queensland was already close to capturing all possible water flow.

“Hence, why desalination’s on the table for the Sunshine Coast,” he said. “If we get into a major drought, if we go through a millennium drought again, and given the population expansion, it will be incredibly challenging.

“It’s going to happen at some stage and it’s just that climate change has turned the needle up a little bit.”

Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology director Damien Batstone said research from Dubai found the technique was “fractionally” cheaper than desalination, but unpredictable.

Prof Batstone said: “I don’t think you can get away with just dams.

“You need a plan B to supply the water, but isn’t dependent on rainfall.”

Water Minister Ann Leahy said the government had committed to new weirs in Mundubbera, Murgon, Longreach, progressing the Warrill Irrigation Plan, and rebuilding Paradise Dam.

Originally published as Cloud seeding considered if SEQ desalination axed without viable alternative