Minister for Resources and Water, the Hon Keith Pitt MP
Queensland Minister for Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water, the Hon Glenn Butcher MP
Queensland landholders can now receive up to 90 per cent of the cost of eligible on-farm projects to save water in the Great Artesian Basin under a second round of program funding.
Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt, said the funding under the Improving Great Artesian Basin Drought Resilience Program is all about empowering communities to drive the delivery of water-saving projects in the Basin.
"The Great Artesian Basin is the lifeblood of western Queensland, generating nearly $13 billion per year and providing a vital resource for 180,000 people, 7,600 businesses and 120 towns," Minister Pitt said.
"To improve drought resilience and water security in the Great Artesian Basin, the Coalition Government has committed $27.6 million to Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory over five years to 2023-24.
"Funding is driving projects to control bores, improve delivery systems and boost water management in the Great Artesian Basin."
Queensland Minister for Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher, said grant funding will help ensure the Queensland section of the Great Artesian Basin is watertight by 2027.
"The program is part of the plan to protect this important resource and put a cap on the 80,000 megalitres of precious Great Artesian Basin water that we're losing each year through free-flowing bores and open bore drains," Minister Butcher said.
"The State Government, the Australian Government, landholders, and private investors, have already invested more than $226 million to improve water security in the Great Artesian Basin.
"This new round of funding will provide even greater support to Queensland landholders to continue to protect this precious resource."
Round two of Queensland's Great Artesian Basin Rehabilitation Program opens on 16 August and closes on 19 November 2021.
Landholders can access further information on the Improving Great Artesian Basin Drought Resilience Program on the Queensland Government website
