Seqwater has acquired land to progress plans for a water security upgrade that will help support Canungra’s growing community for decades to come.
The project, currently in the design phase, will deliver new raw water off-stream storage and supporting infrastructure to improve reliability and resilience for Canungra’s water supply.
Approximately 50 hectares was purchased to the south of Canungra for just over $4.5million, giving Seqwater the ability to plan for a large storage facility and a new intake pump station to transfer water from Canungra Creek into the off-stream storage.
A new transfer pump station and two-kilometre pipeline will connect the storage to the existing Canungra Water Treatment Plant.
Once the project is completed, water will be pumped into the storage facility from Canungra Creek in times of high flow.
Additional works will be required to improve raw water transfer into the existing water treatment plant, however the project’s construction is not expected to begin until 2029.
The land will be maintained by Seqwater’s team until the project commences.
Seqwater Capital Delivery General Manager Melanie Gordon said securing the land marked an important milestone and welcomed the addition for the region which provides much needed long-term water security for Canungra.
“The size and type of structure of the off-stream storage is under investigation, and will be determined by environmental and engineering approvals, cost, and long-term performance, and the solution should be finalised by end of 2026.
“Off-stream storage provides the best long term and most cost-effective option to improve long-term water security for Canungra, while reducing reliance on the creek during dry periods,” Ms Gordon said.
Member for Scenic Rim, Jon Krause, said acquiring the land is a good milestone for the proposed project and would be welcomed by the community as the first step in improving water supply reliability and the livelihoods of locals.
“Over many years, I have heard the concerns of locals about Canungra’s water security and taken action to ensure these concerns are listened to and acted upon by the Government. Seqwater’s acquisition of the land is a vital first step in the right direction towards dealing with this issue of long-term water security.”
“Like all locals, I know how vulnerable our water supply can be in dry years – and I will continue to advocate to improve this supply to support our growing community well into the future,” he said.
Urban Utilities Executive Leader Infrastructure Planning and Delivery, Chris Bulloch, said the acquisition is a positive step towards ensuring future drinking water demands for Canungra are met.
“We deliver water to around 600 homes and businesses in Canungra and know long-term water security is a priority for the community.
“We’ll continue to work together with Seqwater as planning progresses on this key project to strengthen water supply resilience, while supporting future population growth and development.”
Canungra is one of 16 off-grid communities not connected to the SEQ Water Grid or to a substantial dam.
Canungra’s water is a ‘run-of-river’ scheme, which means water is pumped directly from Canungra Creek to the Canungra Water Treatment Plant (WTP).
There is no dam along the river to hold water and store it for later use. Levels in Canungra Creek can change quickly due to factors like rainfall, residential and non-residential demand, as well as upstream irrigation usage.
The town has run out of water several times since 2000, requiring water to be tankered into the water treatment plant so it can be used by residents.
During these times, water carriers have been required to access water from other filling stations, increasing the cost of loads of water and putting residents on tank water under increased financial pressure.
The Canungra WTP can produce up to 1.7 million litres of treated drinking water per day.
Total current demand is around 0.32 million litres per day and is forecast to rise to 0.7 million litres per day by 2052.
Seqwater is continuing to work closely with stakeholders to ensure the solution is resilient, sustainable and delivers long-term benefits for Canungra residents.
The detailed business case is underway and expected to be completed late 2027 and, subject to project approvals, construction could begin from 2029.
Seqwater will continue to engage with the community as planning progresses, with more information available from the Seqwater website seqwater.com.au/project/canungra-water-supply-upgrade.
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