Our water security
Water is our most valuable resource. On 28 April 2021, Council unanimously endorsed the Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 project ( PDF, 6.53 MB ) as Council’s number 1 advocacy priority in recognition of the need to provide water security for a growing community and economy.
The problem
Cairns' primary water source, Copperlode Falls Dam, was built in 1976 when 58,000 people lived here. The dam has served Cairns well but our service population has more than tripled to 198,000 (residents and visitors). Copperlode will not be able to meet the water needs of our growing population.
Based on existing supply capacity within the Cairns Water Supply Scheme and future population growth projections, Cairns will be at risk of drinking water shortfall by 2026.
Cairns receives plenty of rainfall in the wet season, but we need increased capacity to capture, treat, store and deliver water to the population. Cairns's existing water sources are:
- Copperlode Dam on Freshwater Creek, constructed in 1976, with dam capacity of 38,400 megalitres; and
- Behana Creek, established in 1955, constrained by saesonality and environmental flow requirements and containing no bulk water storage.
The solution
The Cairns Water Security Stage 1 project will secure our city's water needs well into the next decade. The plan involves sourcing water from a strategic reserve in the Mulgrave River. This integrated water supply project comprises
- intake infrastructure
- supply and mains connection pipelines
- a treatment plant and reservoirs.
The project has a lighter environmental footprint than a dam and is less expensive.
The total project cost is $472 million with construction to occur over two years to June 2026.
The project would enable 'new' water to be sourced from the run of river supply in Mulgrave River and also enable a significantly enhanced treatment process to be applied to Council's existing Behana Creek water supply, thereby increasing the volumes of water able to be drawn from this source.
The cost
The total capital cost of the Cairns Water Security Stage 1 Project is $472 million.
This covers:
- The design and construction of the required infrastructure
- Costs already incurred or budgeted by Council, such as land acquisition, surveying, Geotech investigations, hydrology studies etc
- Developing the detailed business case
- Additional scope items, such as revegetation requirements and Behana Creek Intake Upgrade works
- Contingency provisions to account for project risk
The total capital cost has been rigorously assessed by Council’s independent Cost Estimating Advisor, Ranbury Group Management.
Funding
The total capital cost of $472 million is an increase on the previous estimate of $248 million. The original estimate was based on the preliminary business case which was completed in 2022.
Cost of living pressures, inflation, materials and labour shortages, have contributed to the rising cost of infrastructure projects across the country.
The Queensland and Australian Government have committed $107.5 million each to the project, saving Cairns ratepayers $222 a year for 15 years ($3330 total).
Due to the unprecedented flooding impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, Council is calling on both levels of government to provide Cairns with significant disaster relief by increasing their CWSS1 project contribution to $236 million each, saving Cairns ratepayers a further $3985 ($7315 total over 15 years).
Without ongoing support from all levels of government, Cairns ratepayers will need to bear the entire project cost at a time when cost of living is having a significant impact.
If the Queensland and Australian Government choose not to increase their funding, Council will consider how to raise the shortfall during Budget deliberations.
What we've done so far
Council has been planning for the long-term water needs of the Cairns community for some time.
In 2015, Cairns adopted the Cairns Water Security Strategy ( PDF, 2.35 MB ), developed by Council's Water Security Advisory Group, with many initiatives implemented already to reduce water demand.
Demand management activities like water education, leak detection improvements, and effective metering and pricing, have delivered significant results, most notably a 35% reduction in water usage per capita over the past 15 years.
While demand management has delivered real results, we now need investment in infrastructure to deliver new water capacity.
FAQs
Residential tanks for collecting rainwater are not considered effective for Cairns. Most of the rain falls within a few months, therefore a typical 5000-litre tank connected to a 300 square metre roof would meet little to none of the demands during Cairns’ extended dry season. This means they would contribute very little to reducing mains water use.
However, rainwater tanks remain an option for homeowners that could be used to substitute mains water in laundries, for toilet flushing, in the garden and other external uses.
Council has a well-established demand management strategy to help drive down water consumption, including water education, leak detection improvements and effective metering and pricing. The need to conserve water has been embraced by the community with a 35% reduction in water consumption per capita over 17 years. Council’s strategy targets a further 10% reduction by 2025, which is significantly more than Townsville and Darwin – cities that share a comparable climate.
While demand management has ensured the city’s drinking water supply meets current needs, it won’t be sufficient to accommodate the anticipated population growth of 80,000 people by 2041.
To provide for these additional residents and visitors, a new drinking water supply is needed.
The need to access an additional bulk water source is part of the long-term plan in the Cairns Water Security Strategy, but this isn’t forecast to be required until the middle of this century (post 2050).
The much-talked about Nullinga Dam and potential projects that would increase the volume of water able to be drawn from Tinaroo Dam are considerations in this regard, but they do not address the immediate problem we are facing in 2026.
We are also conscious of the need to avoid conflict with water needed for agriculture production and expansion on the Atherton Tablelands. By not drawing water from the Barron River at this stage, we are not compromising the growth of this agricultural sector which is critically important to our or region’s future prosperity.
Our community has a expressed a clear view that the protection and enhancement of our region’s natural assets (in particular the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest) are critically important to both our quality of life and future economic prosperity.
The Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 project has a significantly lighter environmental footprint than a dam as it draws on a run of river supply in the Mulgrave River.
Council is committed to ensuring that environmental flows in the river are maintained and respected to protect the river system for the benefit of the communities, fauna and flora that rely on it. The capital cost of the Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 project (estimated ($248 million) is also a fraction of that of a new dam.
The nominal upfront capital cost of Nullinga Dam was upwards of $1 billion and that did not include the infrastructure, such as mains pipelines and treatment plant, needed to integrate the project with the Cairns urban water supply network.
There are also long lead times, usually measured in decades not years, in planning, constructing and ‘filling’ dams. We cannot afford to wait this long when there is a real risk of a drinking water shortfall by 2026.
The project involves a major river intake and pumping station, long, large-diameter pipelines and a treatment plant to convert raw water to drinking water that is fit for human consumption.
These are critical pieces of infrastructure that need to perform to a very high standard – often under demanding conditions, such as flooding, and over a long period of time.
These expectations play into the resulting cost.
That being said, the project is not as expensive compared to other bulk water supply options, such as Nullinga Dam.
This Council has always aimed to deliver infrastructure as and when it is needed.
Paying for infrastructure ahead of when it is actually required means you are spending community funds before you really need to. That’s not prudent financial or capital management.
Mid 2026 is the date we have been working to and we are well advanced in project planning
This project is a core component of the Cairns Water Security Strategy adopted by Council in 2015 and we have been actively progressing it since that time.
Strategic provision within water regulations for the new water supply, land acquisition, hydrology and hydraulic analysis, procurement strategy development and endorsement, cost review and analysis, and pilot testing are all complete.
We’re on schedule for a 2026 delivery.
We are now embarking on an awareness campaign to ensure our community understands why the project is needed and the benefits it will provide.
We will also be seeking investment from the State and Federal Governments to support the delivery of this project, which will critical to the city’s future growth and prosperity.
For the Cairns Water Security Stage 1 project, Council will be seeking a maximum allocation of 7,500 megalitres each year.
This water has been set aside as part of the Queensland Government’s water plan for the Mulgrave River catchment, which is included in the Wet Tropics Water Plan.
Read letters of support and funding commitments from local representatives
Get involved
Hundreds of local businesses and organisations have shown their support by adding their logo to the project support board. You can get involved too - simply upload your business logo to:
- show your support for the Cairns Water Security Project – Stage 1, and
- call for funding assistance from the State and Federal Governments
Terms and conditions
By choosing to provide Cairns Regional Council with your organisation name and logo, you consent to Council using these for purposes relating to the Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 project. These purposes include, but are not limited to:
- integrated public multimedia communications and advocacy activities (including print, digital, web and social media platforms);
- direct contact with key decision makers including members of Parliament, state and federal government departments and other agencies.
Your information will be handled in accordance with Council’s website Privacy Statement and the Information Privacy Act 2009.
Business supporters
Last Updated: 24 December 2023
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