By Sheree Hoddinett
It’s been more than a decade since Bribie Island was making waves as being the potential site for a desalination plant. Now with the release of the 2023 Water Security Program from Seqwater, the salty topic is creeping back again. The program outlines a 30-year strategic plan for south east Queensland water needs.
With population growth predicted to grow significantly over the next 30 years, Seqwater is set to complete a detailed business case (by the end of 2024) for a new desalination plant which is expected to be needed by 2035. While no location has been set in stone, speculation is rife that it will be north of Brisbane, either here in the City of Moreton Bay on Bribie or up on the Sunshine Coast.
The government determines the extent of water available from rivers and dams through an extensive water resource planning process. These plans have found there is no spare water resources for dams in south east Queensland of the scale that would be required to meet the region’s potential growth in water demands in the longer term.
As such, Seqwater has planned for a second desalination plant as the next major water supply expansion for the SEQ Water Grid. Unlike most of the drinking water produced in south east Queensland, desalination is not dependent on rainfall and may be used in times of extreme weather, including droughts and in times of flood when sediment loads in flood water are difficult to treat.
The planning for a new second desalination plant and the timing of its delivery will take into consideration how this source will interact with other infrastructure planning and operation of the grid. The detailed business case process will determine the preferred location and capacity of the desalination plant.
The importance of Queensland’s existing desalination plant was highlighted during the 2022 flood event, when flood debris impacted the Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plant, so production at the Gold Coast Desalination Plant was ramped up so that water supply to the south east was not disrupted.
While Minister for Water Glenn Butcher hasn’t completely ruled out Bribie as a possible location for a desalination plant, he did highlight it as being more of an unlikely choice.
“While the location is yet to be determined, I understand Bribie Island isn’t likely to be an optimal location for infrastructure of this kind because of the distance from connections to the SEQ water grid,” Mr Butcher said. “As I have already said, the best location will be determined by Seqwater during the development of its detailed business case.
“During this phase, Seqwater will be exploring potential locations, the capacity, the timing of delivery, as well as undertaking other important assessments.”
Seqwater chief executive officer Neil Brennan said the Water Security Program was designed to build on the strength and opportunities offered by existing bulk water assets and provided a framework for advancing new, long-term infrastructure to bring additional water into the grid.
“Under current levels of demand, the region has enough spare water supply to manage dry conditions, however it’s important we prepare now for future changes to keep pace with population growth,” Mr Brennan said.
“Maintaining a diversified, expanded mix of bulk water sources, inclusive of climate-independent sources, is key to addressing these challenges and safeguarding our most precious resource for generations to come.”
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