Water infrastructure is a critical enabler for industrial development in the region, resulting in an in economic activity and population growth.

The impacts of climate change mean that it is now more important than ever to ensure that North Queensland has a suitable supply of water that can grow with the increasing demand. With rainfall becoming less predictable, significant and long-term water storage will be vital moving forward. The agriculture sector is immediately impacted by any new developments in this sector, with new projects resulting in greater productivity and output. Other emerging industries such as renewable hydrogen will also be heavily impacted by future projects in the region, as large quantities of raw water will be required over the next decade to meet the demand for hydrogen exports. Water security all year round is imperative for enabling the major growth and development for both existing and emerging industries.

Townsville North Queensland is home two major water storage assets, the Burdekin Falls Dam and the Ross River Dam. 

Burdekin Falls Dam

The Burdekin Falls Dam is the largest water storage asset in Queensland, with a storage capacity of 1,860,000 megalitres. 

The asset owner, Sunwater, is currently investigating a proposal to raise the existing dam wall by two-metres to increase water supply and support future water demand in the Burdekin region and surrounds. It is expected that raising the dam wall will increase the storage capacity by approximately 574,240 megalitres, increasing the overall capacity to an estimated 2,434,240 megalitres.  

For more information on this project, visit Sunwater's website here.

Ross River Dam

The Ross River Dam is located on the outskirts of the Townsville LGA, it covers a catchment area of 750km²  and a capacity of 233,187 megalitres. It is the major source of water supply for Townsville city. 

Currently under construction is the Haughton Pipeline Stage 2 project is a water security initiative which seeks to support the Ross River Dam Catchment. The water pipeline will provide greater capacity to the Dam by pumping water from the Burdekin River during periods of very low rainfall.  The first new pipes were laid in October 2023 – by May 2024, and by August 30% of the pipeline had been completed. 

Townsville City Council is the major proponent for this project and for more information, visit the Council's website here.