A $6.3 million upgrade of the water infrastructure in Katanning is set to shore up water security for residents in and around Kojonup, Western Australia.
The project involved replacing 2.2km of pipeline from Pemble Street to Kojonup-Katanning Road, easing pressure on other supply infrastructure and reducing potential leaks.
The upgraded main is part of a 40km conveyance pipeline, which runs along Kojonup-Katanning Road and supplies drinking water to more than 530 homes and businesses in Kojonup.
Work began in May 2023 and was done by majority Aboriginal-owned construction company, Benang.
The project was delivered by Water Corporation and jointly funded by the Federal and Western Australian Governments through the Federal Government’s National Water Grid Fund (NWGF), as part of the $43.8 million Western Australia Connections package.
A further eight regional Western Australian projects partially funded under the NWGF are in various stages of delivery.
The State Government, through Water Corporation, has allocated more than $290 million for new water and wastewater projects in regional Western Australia in the 2023–24 financial year, including $43.4 million for projects in the Great Southern.
Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, said that water is one of Australia’s most precious resources.
“We’re working to deliver secure and reliable water to communities right across Western Australia,” Ms Plibersek said.
“Projects like this that upgrade old water infrastructure mean we can move water more efficiently to where it’s needed, reduce leakage, and ensure communities and farmland along the pipeline can get a reliable supply.
“This is a win for regional Western Australia and its residents in and around Kojonup.”
Western Australian Minister for Water, Simone McGurk, said that this project is yet another example of the State Government investing in infrastructure that delivers secure, sustainable drinking water to regional Western Australians.
“This financial year alone, the Western Australian Government has allocated $43.4 million towards water and wastewater projects in the Great Southern,” Mr McGurk said.
“These projects, along with those jointly funded through the National Water Grid Fund, are important in ensuring reliable, secure water supply to customers, now and into the future.”
