Newsletter #5 – July 2025

CHAIR'S MESSAGE

We know how important the project is for our community and the State, but we also want to ensure that key decision makers, including the Commonwealth and the State Governments, can be confident that the project enjoys the support and input of key industry and community sectors.

The SAG serves as an advisory body to provide guidance on effective stakeholder engagement and communications. The members will help ensure that we engage and communicate with the right stakeholders, at the right time and in the right way, to maximise project support.

I am extremely pleased to advise the project has managed to attract interest from the following organisations to form the initial membership of our advisory group. The high calibre of membership reflects a recognition of the significance of our project to the agriculture sector in Queensland, regional food security and the broader economy of Queensland.

The organisations include the Queensland Farmer’s Federation (QFF), the Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers (QFVG), the Nursery and Garden Industry Queensland (NGIQ), Regional Development Authority Ipswich and West Moreton, and the Council of Mayors of South-East Queensland (COMSEQ). In addition, the Collaborative is also reaching out to seek representation on the SAG from the Yuggera Ugarapul People (YUP), the traditional owners on whose country our project footprint will traverse. As our project progresses, there may well be other stakeholders we seek to include.

The Collaborative gives a heartfelt thanks to each of the organisations for agreeing to be members of the SAG and we look forward to bringing you updates as their work progresses, with updates also posted on the Collaborative’s website.

Inaugural meeting of Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG)

We are also seeking to strongly align our project with the Primary Industries Prosper 2050 consultation draft paper released by the Queensland Government. The paper is the first step in the development of a 25-year blueprint for the future of Queensland’s primary industries. The blueprint will support the Government’s ambitious target to boost Queensland primary industries output to $30 billion by 2030.

Our project can be a significant and clear demonstration of this policy in action. In fact, it is impossible to imagine a $30 Billion primary industries sector without our region being a key player.

The Government has developed six priority areas to focus its efforts and help drive the 25-year blueprint. Our project embodies all six priorities including:

• market growth,
• a skilled and agile workforce,
• a willingness to innovate,
• strong support from our local community,
• desire for certainty and fairness across the supply chain,
• the use of shared infrastructure.

The final priority is a critical one for our project. The Government wants primary industries to have access to infrastructure enabled through coordinated planning, shared usage and investment by the private and public sector.

Our project is seeking to utilise the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme (WCRWS), water infrastructure built primarily as a drought response for urban water users and power stations, to boost irrigation water security for our region when it is not required for its primary purpose. Our contribution towards this shared infrastructure is a commitment to co-invest in the distribution network required to transport water from the WCRWS to where it is required.  We believe agriculture and industry use of the WCRWS would be an excellent example of multi-user infrastructure in action.

WHAT ELSE IS UP?

This month we also provided a submission into the Government’s Level of Service (LOS) review into the provision of bulk drinking water in SEQ. This is an important review as it sets the obligations on Seqwater and the use of its bulk water assets. While the focus of the review is on urban water supply for residents and businesses, we felt it was critical to provide a submission given the focus of our project and its connection to, and potential future shared use of, water supply infrastructure built primarily to supplement drinking water in drought.  Our full submission can be found on the Collaborative’s website at Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative.

In addition, we have also identified our project’s alignment with the Government’s key regional development, manufacturing and the environmental policies and are working to make sure the relevant ministers, their advisers and departments are aware of this alignment.

Our project has the potential to make a significant contribution to the future health of Moreton Bay and key rivers which flow into the bay. When the WCRWS was first conceived its potential to provide an environmental dividend, including the reuse of wastewater, was touted as a key scheme benefit. To date this benefit has not been quantified. Facts matter. That’s why we are seeking to identify and value the environmental benefits provided. This includes examining potential alignment with the Resilient Rivers Initiative being delivered by the Council of Mayors of South East Queensland and its focus on catchment health across SEQ, including the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions.

Our project also has the potential to support the government’s goals of creating long-term manufacturing opportunities, lowering manufacturing input costs like electricity and water, ensuring Queensland is the most attractive state for manufacturers to invest in, as well as creating new manufacturing regional hubs.

Lockyer Valley and Somerset Mayors catch up with Seqwater CEO Emma Thomas at a CEDA water futures event

Lockyer Valley and Somerset council Mayors join the Water Minister Ann Leahy at the CEDA water futures breakfast.

Mayor Tanya Milligan talks with Water Minister Ann Leahy at the CEDA water event

This month the project also attended a CEDA event – Securing Queensland’s Water Future – with the Queensland Water Minister Ann Leahy the guest speaker. The Minister made it clear that providing greater water security for the agriculture sector was an important focus of the Crisafulli Government. She also spoke about the Lockyer Valley and acknowledged the impacts of low rainfall and periods of drought on farm production and the local economy.

Seqwater CEO Emma Thomas also spoke as part of the event and talked about the need to look at alternative uses for the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme beyond drought and how to best use water infrastructure across SEQ.

Lastly and most importantly Lockyer Valley Mayor Tanya Milligan has produced a great project video update encouraging our local communities to reach out and learn more about our enterprise and its potential to supercharge our region. The video can also be viewed at Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative.

PROJECT UPDATES

The program follows feedback from growers and other stakeholders of the need to increase communication about the project and its benefits. We are aiming to implement the initial phase of the program, with a strong social media focus, in August for four months.

The project also continues to scope up critical packages of work. This includes:

• Updating Queensland Treasury Corporation Economic Opportunities report – the scope involves updating the 2019 QTC Economic Opportunities report to reflect current economic conditions, opportunities, and challenges. This update will provide stakeholders with a refreshed analysis and insights to inform decision-making and strategic planning. The updates to this document are proposed to be publicly facing.
   
• The benefits of Local Management Area – The scope covers an initial assessment of the benefits of local management to the operation of the scheme including what improvements to local water security could be delivered.
   
• Environmental Benefits - the scope includes quantifying the benefits of upgrading treated water quality, assessing water quality changes in receiving bodies like Moreton Bay, and evaluating flow-on benefits such as restored environmental flows and improved aquatic health. It also explores indirect benefits like decarbonisation and circular economy opportunities, landholder engagement for riparian restoration activities, and related social benefits.

DID YOU KNOW

Seven key benefits of the Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Security Scheme have been identified, these are:

• Increased sustainable agricultural production, value and economic activity;
• Increased agri-business and local value-add production, value and activity;
• Additional regional investment;
• Creating local jobs and improving socio-economic outcomes;
• Encouraging commercially focused research and skills development;
• Development of new markets; and 
• Supporting diversification, resilience, wellbeing and economic prosperity.

The Detailed Business Case, prepared by Jacobs Australia, includes detailed economic cost-benefit analysis of the proposed project.  Key economic benefit highlights of the project are:

• $209.8 million additional annual agricultural production
• 373 jobs during construction
• 1923 permanent jobs in agriculture and supporting industries

The full detailed Jacobs report can be found at Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative.