Cairns capital works program to fund pump infrastructure

Cairns Regional Council announced $144.6 million for its capital works program, which includes projects for water, wastewater and pump infrastructure under the 2022-23 Budget. 

More than $54 million will be invested in new core infrastructure as part of the capital works program.

Mayor, Bob Manning, said Council was continuing to invest in its water, wastewater, drainage and transport infrastructure networks to meet growing demand and ensure services met community expectations.

Key projects funded in 2022’s capital works program include resumption of the smart water meters rollout and investment in the city’s water security. 

The capital works program also commits $90 million to renewal and upgrades of existing infrastructure and assets.

Mr Manning said the $5.8 million allocated in the 2022-23 Budget for the Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 project was critical to the city’s future prosperity.

“This is Council’s most important capital infrastructure project, which is critical to securing the city’s drinking water into the next decade,” Mr Manning said.

“The State Budget committed $107.5 million towards the project.

“The commitment matches the Federal Government’s allocation, taking significant financial pressure off Cairns water users.”

Council’s $144.6 million in 2022’s capital works program will bring the total amount of community infrastructure delivered by Council over the past nine budget cycles to nearly $1.4 billion.

“Our capital works program has provided much-needed sports, recreational, cultural, road, water and waste facilities across the Cairns local government area,” Mr Manning said.

Some of the highlights of the program include:

• $1 million for the testing of bores in multiple sites as part of the EWSP to safeguard Cairns’ water supply in the event of an extreme drought
  • A bore field to the south of the Mulgrave River and temporary infrastructure, including associated pipework, packaged water treatment plant and booster pump station will be used to treat approximately 40 mL of the Mulgrave Aquifer bore water each day, which can then supply the Cairns network

• $724,000 for upgrades and maintenance have also been allocated for the Esplanade Lagoon
  • A further $243,000 has been allocated for the Lagoon’s biennial maintenance program, which includes repairs and upgrades to the pool’s pump systems 
• $5.5 million to start construction of a new water storage reservoir at Mount Peter, Edmonton to deliver an 8ML reservoir, trunk water pipelines and refurbishment of an existing water pumping station, to meet the demands of future development in the area
  • This will be the first reservoir constructed by Council in more than a decade, and the largest since the 8ML reservoir at Currunda Creek, Redlynch, was completed in 2009

Improvements and upgrades – $6.6million

• $1.3 million to upgrade filters at the Freshwater Water Treatment Plant
• Refurbishment of reservoirs at:
  • Centenary High, Bentley Park – $70,000
  • Mayers St, Edge Hill – $1.4 million
  • Panguna St, Trinity Beach – $380,000
  • Tobias Cl, Clifton Beach – $40,000
• Completion of water pump station renewals at Edmonton West with $1.4 million and Warren Road, Palm Cove with $916,000

Wastewater infrastructure – $28.1 million

• $12.9 million on upgrades and improvements to sewer pump stations and networks throughout the city:
  • $1.8 million allocated to the annual sewer-relining program
  • $645,000 on the manhole rehabilitation program

• $9.2 million on improvements and upgrades to wastewater infrastructure:
  • $2.2 million on upgrades to the Edmonton Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
  • $1.5 million for a dewater system upgrade at the Northern WWTP

• $6 million to replace specialist filtration membranes in the northern and southern wastewater treatment plants

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