In an announcement welcomed by the Queensland Government, Toowoomba Regional and Southern Downs Regional Councils have voted in favour of the $300 million Toowoomba to Warwick Pipeline (T2W) project.
The pipeline will carry raw water from Wivenhoe Dam and connect with Toowoomba Regional Council’s existing water infrastructure to deliver water to Warwick and will be an opportunity to deliver treated water to the satellite communities of Cambooya, Greenmount, Nobby and Clifton.
Importantly the project will provide drought contingency for all the residents of Southern Downs Regional Council.
State Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher. said the councils’ endorsements mean good jobs and better services for the south west regions, with pre-construction works to begin before 25 December2022.
“We’re thrilled that Toowoomba and Southern Downs have supported this project and – subject to some final negotiations – we are now in a position to meet our commitment to get this project underway and on track for scheduled completion by the end of 2026,” Mr Butcher said.
“Construction of this pipeline is critical to providing improved water security for the residents of Southern Downs Regional Council as well as delivering approximately 420 jobs to the Toowoomba and Southern Downs communities during construction.
Seqwater has delivered detailed designs for the pipeline and is continuing to work with stakeholders in preparing to move into the pre-construction phase of the pipeline, including discussion with landholders.
Mr Butcher said Toowoomba residents could also be confident that the pipeline would not impact their existing water supply, while at the same time providing drought resilience to surrounding communities.
“Here in Queensland, we know we can’t always rely on rain, and we never want to again find ourselves in the position where Warwick is at risk of running out of water,” Mr Butcher said.
The Queensland Government previously announced the $19.34 million Southern Downs Drought Resilience Package, which was designed to help increase local water availability and improve Southern Down’s drought resilience.
The package includes measures such as the installation of new pumps at Leslie Dam which allows for accessing previously ‘dead water’ (water below the level that existing pumps could access), as well as investigative works into the Toowoomba to Warwick pipeline, commissioning of groundwater bores, and upgrades to water treatment systems.
