Water Water Everywhere

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Less than a quarter of the water held in major dams across North Queensland is currently used for irrigation according to the SunWater Limited annual report for 2008-2009.

The availablility of water in the North shows the paucity of the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce Report headlining the lack of a food future in Northern Australia.

Federal Opposition Spokesman on Northern and Remote Australia Senator Ian Macdonald, said that the data from the annual report is further proof that agriculture in Northern Australia, and in particular North Queensland, has the potential to be further developed and expanded to become the new source of food for Australia and the world.

“The seven major dams across North Queensland provide capacity to store nearly four and a half million megalitres of water,” said Senator Macdonald.

“These reservoirs are reliable, fill to capacity most wet seasons and rarely fall below 75% during the dry season.

“The total irrigation allocations across North Queensland total to just over a million megalitres, less than a quarter of the total storage capacity.

“North Queensland is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the increased domestic and international demand for food, as well as the increased demand for ethanol and other bio-fuels, and it’s time for the Federal Government to start supporting the expansion of agriculture across the North.

“There is considerable scope to increase the storage capacity of existing dams. As well there are a number of sensible proposals for new water storage infrastructure in North Queensland and given appropriate Government support, could expand North Queensland as an agricultural powerhouse.

END

14 February 2010

Media contact Gordon Terry      (07) 4771 3066   or   0427 960 255             

Facility                                  | Irrigation Allocations (ML) | Total Capacity (ML)
Eungella Dam – Pioneer River | 5,736                              | 112,400
Burdekin Falls Dam                | 609,186                          | 1,860,000
Kinchant Dam – Pioneer River | 51,799                            | 62,800
Tinaroo Falls Dams                | 151,350                          | 438,900
Fairbairn Dam                       | 164,899                          | 1,301,000
Teemburra Dam – Pioneer River | 46,526                        | 147,500
Peter Faust Dam – Proserpine River | 39,275                   | 491,400
Total                                     | 1,068,771                      | 4,414,000

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