Toowoomba to Warwick pipeline: Councillors to vote to defer decision on response to drought-busting infrastructure

A resolution adopted by a neighbouring council on a $300m water pipeline has seen Toowoomba councillors defer their decision on the drought-busting infrastructure with further discussions needed to ‘remove any ambiguity’.

Update: A decision on Toowoomba Regional Council’s response to a proposed $300 million water pipeline from Toowoomba to Warwick project has been put on hold to allow further discussions to take place.

Both Toowoomba Regional Council and Southern Downs Regional Council met on Wednesday to discuss their responses to the project.

However Toowoomba councillors deferred any decision to a future meeting following a resolution adopted by Southern Down Regional Council that, if accepted by the state government, could be in conflict with Toowoomba Regional Council’s outcomes from the project.

Southern Downs Regional councillors from voted in favour of a resolution to provide “in principle support” for the Toowoomba to Warwick Pipeline project on a number of conditions, including that SDRC not be required to contribute to the capital, fixed or variable costs of the project or water provided by SEQWater, and that SDRC would have “sole responsibility for determining when to request water via the pipeline”.

Concerned the SDRC resolution created “ambiguity”, Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio said councillors had come to the conclusion that further discussions between the Water Minister Glenn Butcher, senior representatives of the state government and SDRC were needed.

“This is a massive decision for all of us which is why we’ve called for an urgent meeting to be held,” Mr Antonio said.

“I’ve already reached out to the Minister and am optimistic we can arrange a meeting as soon as possible on this matter.

“While we know what our requirements are for the Toowoomba Region, the decision on Wednesday from Southern Downs Regional Council has made it clear we need to gain further understanding of their requirements for this proposed pipeline.

“We’re seeking to understand the intentions and implications of the details listed within the decision from Southern Downs.

“We have a good relationship with our neighbouring council so it’s about coming together to get clarity before we make a final decision.”

At Toowoomba Regional Council’s special meeting on Wednesday, the council voted that the pipeline project be deferred to a future special meeting of council, pending urgent discussions with the State Government Minister as a result of a relevant decision made by Southern Downs Regional Council on the new pipeline.

Original: At the height of the last drought Southern Downs residents were on some of the tightest water restrictions in living memory.

Stanthorpe’s Storm King Dam was bone dry, while the pumps at Leslie Dam were dredging up more mud than water as it dipped below five per cent capacity.

Stanthorpe and Clifton were surviving on water trucked in from elsewhere at a cost of more than $15 million and family farms were pushed to breaking point.

It is hoped that the bleak situation will become a thing of the past with the Queensland Government offering to build a raw water pipeline from Toowoomba to Warwick.

The $300 million project would connect residents in Cambooya, Greenmount, Nobby and Clifton to the bulk water supply and create about 420 jobs during construction.

But the project is complicated and both the Toowoomba and Southern Downs Regional Councils have expressed concerns about the long term cost of such a large piece of infrastructure.

At 3pm on Wednesday the Toowoomba Regional Council will meet to decide on its formal response to the project.

The council manager for Strategic Water Planning and Capital Delivery Jaek Passier and senior engineer Toby Millikan have prepared a report for the councillors’ consideration.

They have recommended that the councillors support the project but that their support should be contingent on formal agreement on 10 key areas of concern.

They include an upgrade to the Wivenhoe pump station and that Toowoomba would only supply water to Warwick when TRC has enough to spare.

The project must not adversely impact or worsen TRC water security or its finances.

The report calls for clear agreements on funding, capital cost recovery, access charges and contracts between the State Government, Seqwater, SDRC and TRC.

It also calls on the Start Government to carry the pipeline’s access and regulatory responsibilities.

The Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water has already committed to jointly funding an upgrade to the Wivenhoe pump station if the project goes ahead.

The report states that this upgrade would add extra capacity to Toowoomba’s water supply to cover the water heading south.

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio said the project had a lot of merit but needs detailed consideration.

“There are positives and negatives in this but what we really have to examine is if it will cost us anything,” he said.

“We will be mindful that we don’t want to cost the ratepayers anything.”

The debate is scheduled to start at 3pm.