Gladstone community invited to comment on new water plans

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Media Statements

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines
 The Honourable Andrew Cripps

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Gladstone community invited to comment on new water plans

The community of Gladstone region has been invited to have its say on two new draft water resource plans (WRPs) being prepared for the Boyne River Basin.

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps said the draft plans include a Water Resource Plan (WRP), which outlines strategies for allocating and managing the water resources of the Boyne River Basin and a Resource Operations Plan (ROP), which will provide the management and operational arrangements for implementing those strategies.

“This is the first time in Queensland that both the strategic and operational components of water resource planning have been prepared under a single process,” Mr Cripps said.

“The provisions in the new draft plans will ensure that the industrial and town water requirements for Gladstone continue to be met while improving environmental outcomes downstream of Awoonga Dam.

“The draft WRP takes lessons learned under the previous plan and establishes and updated framework that continues to support irrigated agriculture and future industrial growth in the region over the next 10 years.”

Mr Cripps said the release of the Boyne River Basin WRP and ROP together represented a significant day for Queensland water resource planning.

“The release of both draft plans together streamlines the water planning process by enabling stakeholders to comment on both strategic and operational components at the same time,” he said.

“I encourage all interested parties, including farmers, irrigators, business owners and the community, to put forward their views on the draft plans.

Interested parties have until Friday 2 August 2013 to lodge submissions on the new draft Boyne River Basin WRP and draft ROP.