Bundaberg and Burnett regional water assessment

The Bundaberg and Burnett region's economic prosperity is heavily reliant on agriculture along with a strong industrial sector. It depends on well-managed water supply and security that will continue to support agricultural development, as well as future urban and industrial sector growth.

The Bundaberg and Burnett regional water assessment (RWA) looks at all possible water sources, crossing local council and catchment boundaries, to make the best use of existing infrastructure and maximise benefits.

For the Bundaberg and Burnett region, the RWA process included input from local councils, industries, Traditional Owners, and community members. Together, they reviewed 121 possible water supply and security ideas for the area. After robust technical analysis and consultation, this list was reduced to the 11 most viable options for detailed assessment.

Public consultation helped refine the final RWA, which identifies short, medium and long-term recommendations to improve water security and drive economic growth.

The RWA can be considered as we deliver the state's wider water agenda.

Status

The final assessment was completed in early 2024.

View the Bundaberg and Burnett RWA summary report (PDF, 10MB).

Consultation

Stakeholder advisory group consultation included:

  • AgForce Queensland
  • Australian Macadamia Society
  • Avocados Australia
  • Bundaberg Ag-Food and Fibre Alliance
  • Bundaberg Canegrowers Ltd
  • Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers
  • Bundaberg Regional Council
  • Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation
  • Canegrowers Isis
  • Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council
  • Citrus Australia
  • EastAUS Milk
  • North Burnett Regional Council
  • Queensland Farmers Federation
  • Queensland Resources Council
  • Regional Development Australia (Wide Bay)
  • South Burnett Regional Council.

Assessment area

View a map of the Bundaberg and Burnett RWA area (PDF, 640KB).

Area summary

Local government areas

Includes Bundaberg Regional Council, Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, North Burnett Regional Council and South Burnett Regional Council.

Water context

The Bundaberg and Burnett RWA includes the Barker Barambah, Bundaberg, Boyne River and Tarong, Three Moon Creek and Upper Burnett water supply schemes (WSS) as well as the Burnett River, Kolan River and Gregory River catchments within the Bundaberg, Cherbourg, North Burnett and South Burnett local government areas. The Bundaberg and Burnett RWA area falls largely within the Water Plan (Burnett Basin) 2014.

Snapshot of demographics

Population at the time assessment ~145,000

Future population (by 2050) estimated at the time of assessment ~169,000

Main population centres

Bundaberg, Cherbourg, Gayndah, Kingaroy

Smaller towns and cities

Biggenden, Blackbutt, Childers, Eidsvold, Gin Gin, Mt Perry, Monto, Murgon, Mundubbera, Nanango, South Kolan, Wondai

Key industries

Mining, timber production, manufacturing, tourism and a wide range of agricultural industries (cotton, sugar, avocado, macadamia, sweet potato, citrus, berries, peanuts, vegetables, etc)

Agricultural land use

Grazing alongside dryland and irrigated cropping; dairy cattle farming

Main water sources

Bjelke-Petersen Dam, Boondooma Dam, Cania Dam, Fred Haigh Dam, Paradise Dam

Other water sources

Gordonbrook Dam, smaller dams and weirs, watercourses and groundwater systems

Water demand

Barker Barambah

  • Water supplied from the Barker Barambah WSS as well as unsupplemented streams and groundwater.
  • Water demand was limited by the low reliability of medium priority water, constraining the potential transition to higher-value crops.
  • There was an active water trading market with small volumes traded.

Boyne and Auburn

  • Water supplied from the Boyne River and Tarong WSS as well as unsupplemented streams and groundwater.
  • Significant potential for growth with areas of soils suitable for irrigated agriculture.
  • Water trading within this subarea has been low historically.
  • Planned transition (at the time of assessment) of coal-fired assets at the Tarong power station by 2035 may mean that some high priority water allocations can become available for other uses in the future.

Upper Burnett

  • Most water is supplied from the Upper Burnett WSS as well as unsupplemented streams and groundwater.
  • Significant potential for growth with areas of soils suitable for irrigated agriculture.
  • Historically water trading has been limited.

Lower Burnett, including Kolan and the coastal area

  • Water supplied from the Bundaberg WSS as well as unsupplemented streams and groundwater.
  • Significant potential for growth with areas of soils suitable for irrigated agriculture and unallocated reserves of water.
  • An active water trading market with demand anticipated to increase.

Options to support water security and economic growth

The assessment process identified the most suitable ways to support the region’s water security and promote economic growth.

The most promising options not referred to other water planning processes were considered for further detailed assessment, with input from local stakeholders. Five of the options were included in the RWA for comparative assessment and consideration as they have already been investigated outside the Bundaberg and Burnett RWA process.

A summary of the options considered for further detailed assessment are provided below. Further details are available in the Bundaberg and Burnett RWA summary report (PDF, 10MB).

Non infrastructure option

Post Tarong power station transition

This option looked at repurposing up to 30,000ML of high priority water per year, which is currently used by the Tarong power station for coal-fired power generation. The repurposed water could be used in different ways, such as irrigation upstream or downstream of Boondooma Dam.

Infrastructure options

Claude Wharton Weir raising

This option looked at returning the weir to its previous height, prior to the removal of the inflatable structure, through the installation of 1.5m high flap gates. It sought to supply additional water for agricultural use.

Jones Weir raising

This option involved adding a concrete cap to the existing weir spillway to raise the weir by 1.4m. The design also includes a fish lock. It sought to supply additional water for agricultural use.

Barlil Weir

The South Burnett Regional Council previously explored this option at a concept design stage and proposes building a re-regulating weir on Barambah Creek within the Barker Barambah WSS. This option seeks to improve the reliability of existing water allocations or create new medium priority water allocations. However, the current (at the time) weir design did not meet fishway passage requirements. To move forward with this option, a new design would need to be developed to comply with these regulations.

Paradise Dam to Coalstoun Lakes pipeline

Coalstoun Lakes Water previously explored this option in detail through a detailed business case. This option involved supplying water to Coalstoun Lakes and nearby areas using 6 pump stations and a 143km pipeline network from Paradise Dam. However, there is potential competition for water from Paradise Dam for both this option and the Bundaberg irrigation network capacity stage 2 project.

West Barambah Dam

This option was initially planned as a weir, but technical studies found that a small dam would better meet the area’s water needs. The proposed concrete gravity dam includes a fish lock to support fish movement. This option aimed to improve the reliability of existing water allocations in the Barker Barambah system and increase available medium priority water. However, this option was not compatible with the water plan as it would have negative impacts on existing unsupplemented water entitlements in the area.

Bundaberg irrigation network capacity upgrade – stage 2

This option aimed to supply additional water to the Isis and Woongarra areas, in addition to stage 1. The stage 2 option was focused on addressing supply network bottlenecks caused by increasing water demand. A detailed business case (DBC) for stage 2 was being developed at the time of the assessment.

Burnett River to Fred Haigh Dam transfer

This option proposed diverting excess flows from Paradise Dam to Fred Haigh Dam. The goal was to connect the 2 systems and increase water yield by optimising the storage capacity of both dams. The proposal included building 2 new pump stations and a 30km pipeline from the Burnett River to Fred Haigh Dam. Progression of this option was not recommended due to project viability as there are unsold water allocations at Paradise Dam available at significantly lower cost.

Blackbutt irrigation scheme

The South Burnett Regional Council previously explored this option at a concept design stage.

This option looked at supplying water to the Blackbutt area from Boondooma Dam via the existing Tarong power station pipeline and Blackbutt pipeline. To enable this option, it was assumed that some of the water from Boondooma Dam to supply Tarong power station would be available.

Cooranga Weir

The Boyne River Water Association previously explored this option at a concept design stage. The proposal involved constructing a weir to enhance the reliability of existing Boyne River and Tarong WSS medium priority water allocations downstream.

Gordonbrook Dam irrigation scheme

The South Burnett Regional Council previously explored this option at a concept design stage.

This option involved a new 55km pipeline to supply water from Gordonbrook Dam for irrigation that is currently used to supply Kingaroy. To enable this option, it is assumed that some of water from Boondooma Dam that supplies Tarong power station could be used to supply Kingaroy, in addition to Kingaroy's existing entitlements from Boondooma Dam.

Responding to the challenges and opportunities

Barker Barambah

Barlil Weir

  • Provides a modest improvement to water reliability.
  • Consolidating an increase in reliability across a smaller group of water users may risk water becoming unaffordable for all potential users.
  • Warrants more detailed assessment given unmet water demand in the area.

West Barambah Dam

  • Site limitations for the dam result in very high estimated capital costs.
  • Limited water yield from the dam is likely to result in unaffordable water.
  • Hydrological modelling indicates this option would impact existing unsupplemented water users.
  • Option as investigated considered unviable.
  • Subject to outcomes of more detailed assessment of Barlil Weir, a further options analysis could determine if there are any viable projects to meet local water needs.

Boyne and Auburn

Post Tarong power station transition

  • Significant potential for utilising available water allocations and repurposing infrastructure.
  • Sharing of Boyne River and Tarong WSS costs post Tarong power station transition needs to be better understood.
  • Utilisation of potentially repurposed water downstream of Boondooma Dam has a more positive economic outcome as pipeline transfer and pumping would not be required.
  • Any utilisation of water upstream of Boondooma Dam is likely to require high value uses to support the investment and meet high ongoing operation and maintenance costs for water delivery (including Blackbutt irrigation scheme).

Cooranga Weir

  • Could increase the operational efficiency of the Boyne River and Tarong WSS.
  • Potential to serve as an initial step in realising benefits for future repurposed Tarong power station water in the area.
  • Further detailed investigation would help to give greater confidence of cost estimates and potential benefits.

Gordonbrook Dam irrigation scheme

  • Extensive pipeline network and high pumping costs for small volume of water make the option as investigated, a challenging investment.
  • Alternative arrangements including smaller distribution networks may be more favourable.
  • Further investigation would be subject to understanding access expectations for Tarong power station entitlements and urban water security arrangements for Kingaroy.

Blackbutt irrigation scheme

  • Option was highly susceptible to a single crop type with capacity to pay for water constraining the options economic benefits and hence viability.
  • Option is contingent on water related to Tarong power station becoming available.

Upper Burnett

Claude Wharton Weir and Jones Weir raising

  • Both options considered were economically viable.
  • Anticipated that additional water allocations would be used by high value uses such as horticulture.
  • Capital cost of raising Jones Weir is marginally lower than raising Claude Wharton Weir.

Paradise Dam to Coalstoun Lakes pipeline

  • Not considered economically or financially viable in its current configuration.
  • Would compete for irrigation water development in the Lower Burnett subarea.
  • Bundaberg WSS has capacity to utilise water allocations from Paradise Dam at significantly lower capital and ongoing operation and maintenance costs.
  • Any further development should assess availability of water to support this project and the Bundaberg irrigation network capacity upgrade stage 2 project and consider if a more cost-effective solution could achieve a similar outcome.

Lower Burnett, including Kolan and the coastal area

Bundaberg irrigation network capacity upgrade stage 2

  • Utilising water allocations made available from the Paradise Dam improvement project.
  • There are significant opportunities to incrementally deploy investment to match the capacity and location of demand growth. This approach would significantly reduce costs and allow better economic viability of the project.
  • After the release of the draft RWA, the former Queensland Government committed to progressing a DBC for this option.

Burnett River to Fred Haigh Dam transfer

  • Option is not considered viable in the timeframe considered based on economic analysis and availability of more cost-effective options in the area.
  • Ned Churchward Weir raising is likely to present lower ongoing operations and maintenance costs compared to the Burnett River to Fred Haigh Dam transfer.

Ned Churchward Weir raising

  • This option did not progress to further detailed analysis as part of the RWA, however, remains a potential future water source.
  • Stakeholder advisory group indicated preference to explore this option instead of the Burnett River to Fred Haigh Dam transfer option.

Recommendations and implementation

The Bundaberg and Burnett RWA prioritises recommendations for potential delivery over the next 30 years to approximately the early 2050s. These recommendations were made at the time of the assessment (2024) and do not signify Queensland Government approval or funding. However, the key findings and recommendations will help to inform the delivery of the Queensland Government’s water agenda.

The recommendations provided below represent those at the time of assessment and do not include any announcements, decisions or activities (government or private) that may have been made since the completion of the Bundaberg and Burnett RWA.

Short term

All subareas

  • Seek to incorporate RWA outcomes into relevant state planning instruments.

Barker Barambah

  • Initiate a DBC for the Barlil Weir option.

Boyne and Auburn

Continue working with relevant entities to better understand access expectations for:

  • Boondooma Dam water allocation related to the Tarong power station for town water supply and other uses in the South Burnett area.
  • Initiate a DBC for the Cooranga Weir option.

Upper Burnett

  • Initiate project development work exploring opportunities to optimise the Paradise Dam to Coalstoun Lakes Case pipeline DBC to determine the timing/availability of water entitlements for the project, realistic/likely costs for staged project development, revised water charges, and updated urban, industrial and irrigation water demand volumes for Biggenden and Coalstoun Lakes, along with any other assessments needed to ascertain the project's updated economic viability.

Lower Burnett

  • Initiate DBC for Bundaberg irrigation network capacity upgrade stage 2─the former Queensland Government has announced commitments to this project.

Medium term

All subareas

  • Include RWA considerations in the Burnett Basin water plan review:
    • potential changes to the water year
    • moving gauging stations/points for triggering water harvesting opportunities
    • conversion of groundwater licenses to entitlement for area B.

Barker Barambah

  • Undertake an options analysis to identify the preferred option to meet the water service need in the West Barambah system, subject to Barlil Weir DBC outcomes.

Boyne and Auburn

  • Initiate a DBC for Gordonbrook Dam irrigation scheme option, subject to confirmation of support from relevant entities for access to Boondooma Dam water allocation related to the Tarong power station.

Upper Burnett

  • Initiate a DBC for the Jones Weir raising option, subject to the outcomes of a prior bulk water supply and demand audit that includes consideration of climate change risk and incorporates the latest available science.

Lower Burnett

  • Progress the Bundaberg irrigation network upgrade – stage 2 option, subject to outcomes of the DBC.

Long-term

Barker Barambah

  • Progress water security projects or planning, subject to the outcomes of:
    • the Barlil Weir DBC
    • any further options analysis for this subarea.

Boyne and Auburn

  • Progress water security projects or planning, subject to the outcomes of any DBC for the Gordonbrook Dam irrigation scheme option.

Upper Burnett

  • Initiate a DBC for Claude Wharton Weir raising option, subject to the outcomes of:
    • the Jones Weir raising detailed business case
    • a prior bulk water supply and demand audit that includes consideration of climate change risk and incorporates the latest available science.

Lower Burnett

  • Undertake an options analysis (including Ned Churchward Weir raising in lieu of the Burnett to Fred Haigh pipeline option) for the supply of additional water in the Lower Burnett subarea, subject to outcomes of a prior bulk water supply and demand audit that includes consideration of climate change risk and incorporates the latest available science.

Recurrent recommendations

All subareas

  • Undertake a bulk water supply and demand audit, that includes consideration of climate change risk and incorporates the latest available science, every 5 years.

Enquiries

Contact regionalwaterassessments@dlgwv.qld.gov.au.