Cairns residents will benefit from a new drinking water supply this year, with the $472 million Cairns Water Security Stage 1 project nearly finished.
The project, which will supply up to 60 megalitres of treated water per day to the Cairns region, has seen more than one million hours of work completed, with 25.2km of a 30km pipeline installed and major work underway at the new Gordonvale water treatment plant, which replaces the Behana asset.
A water intake is being built at the Mulgrave River, along with new water reservoirs and flood protections works at the Behana Creek intake.
The Queensland Government said 1100 people have worked on the project, with 80 per cent of this workforce hailing from the Cairns region. This has seen more than $100 million injected into the local economy through the involvement of 140 suppliers.
“Water is critical for the prosperity and sustainability of our Queensland communities, and we know this project is critically needed for the growing Cairns population,” Queensland Minister for Local Government and Water Ann Leahy said.
“Once complete, it will deliver a resilient, reliable water network that is built to support the future water needs of Cairns and nearby Gordonvale.”
John Holland Queensland was awarded the design and construct contract for the project in December 2023, with construction commencing in mid-2024.
The project has been jointly funded by the Federal Government ($195 million) and the Queensland Government ($195 million) through the National Water Grid Fund, with Cairns Regional Council contributing the rest.
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