Newsletter #11 – March/April 2026

In this issue

• Grower forums
• Project update
• Project team in the field
• Latest on our stakeholder engagement
• Key Commonwealth Government policy alignment
• Did you know
• Update on our Customer and Community Engagement Program

Huge turn out by growers to secure their water future

Our project celebrated a major milestone in April with the first steps to lock in foundation customers.

It was a huge moment for future water security for the Lockyer Valley and Somerset which saw months of work and advocacy condensed into what we hope is a compelling offer for growers to sign up to and to get on board.

Potential customers have been offered conditional agreements to secure their allocations in the new scheme

The reality is we do not have a scheme without the growers. The forums highlighted strong local support for a project. This is most important for government when we are seeking its significant support and funding.

From the Collaborative’s perspective we genuinely believe the project represents “a once in a lifetime’’ opportunity to lock in water security for the region for decades to come.

Our grower engagement kicked off with two grower forums on 9 April – one at Coominya and one in Gatton.

Our enormous thanks and gratitude to the 160 growers who attended. Our project update and offer to growers received a positive reception with questions focused on the future operation of the scheme.

Please see ‘s Channel 7’s interviews with Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor Tanya Milligan and Somerset Regional Council Mayor Jason Wendt who spoke at the forums.  

We acknowledge the very real impact the middle east conflict and fuel crisis is having on the region, but we also understand the long-term challenges and constraints of the existing irrigation supply.

One on one grower engagement is now underway as we seek to secure the scheme’s foundation customers. We are aiming to lock in these customers with deposits paid by the end of July.

The project is seeking to use spare capacity of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme to supply up to 22,000ML of Purified Recycled Water per year. This is drinking water quality and safe to put on crops. This is a unique opportunity for growers to lock in their future water security as a foundation customer to one of the most reliable and resilient irrigation water schemes in the country. It will be significantly more reliable than the existing irrigation dams and groundwater.

If you are interested and are yet to receive a grower information pack, please contact:

Angus MacDonald

ON TRACK TO DELIVER AN INVESTMENT READY SCHEME

The Collaborative will deliver an investment ready scheme proposal for funding consideration by the Commonwealth and Queensland governments by mid 2026 this year.

It will be the culmination of almost three years of focused work developing the compelling case and the technical design to support it.

The Optimisation Assessment Report will reinforce the economic benefits of the scheme and our pricing approach and detail our approvals and construction strategy.

Importantly, it will also map a pathway forward to having the scheme locally managed by growers, including what a transition from construction to operation to a locally managed scheme might look like and over what period.

A locally managed scheme has significant support from the Collaborative and its grower representatives. Locally managed irrigation schemes have been supported by government in other parts of Queensland and we are confident they will be open to such a model for our scheme.

Finally, we have engaged the State Government on an option to bring forward a small percentage of the capital funding to allow the project to undertake some “no regrets’’ early delivery parcels of work from June this year, while the government considers the final capital investment required.

These early delivery works include initial geo-tech, land tenure and approvals including environmental and cultural heritage. These parcels will be required should the project proceed and will provide both the State and Commonwealth governments with greater confidence the project will be delivered for the funding requested. By undertaking these works now, it also best positions the project for a construction start in 2028.

We are seeking capital commitments by the State and Commonwealth as part of the respective 2027-28 budgets but ultimately timing will be a matter for them.

THE PROJECT TEAM IN THE FIELD FOLLOWING THE PIPELINE ROUTE

Over April, the project team including pipeline design and environmental, and approval specialists, were in the field taking a closer look at the pipeline route options.

It gave the team a better understanding some of the challenges as well as opportunities to deliver a highly efficient scheme from construction to operation.

The information gathered will help shape the project’s Optimisation Assessment Report for consideration by the Queensland and Commonwealth governments.

POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH KEY CANBERRA-BASED STAKEHOLDERS

Member for Blair the Hon. Shayne Neumann

Member for Wright, the Hon. Scott Buchholz

Our project secured some excellent meetings with key Canberra-based Commonwealth stakeholders in early April.

Our focus was to ensure our project was well and truly on their radar.

Importantly, it also provided an opportunity for the project to hear directly from those whose advice will be sought by government Ministers considering our future investment request.

In an increasingly uncertain world, it is in Australia's interest to ensure its own food security. We are already a critical horticultural region - growing 30% of Queensland's and 5% of the nation's fresh produce 

We have the essentials: some of the best soils in Australia, a highly skilled workforce, and an ideal growing climate. What’s holding us back and our biggest risk into the future - it isn’t land or expertise. It’s access to highly reliable irrigation water.

We had the opportunity to meet with the National Food Security Strategy team as well as the team with oversight of the National Water Grid Fund (the likely avenue for Commonwealth funding) and the new National Water Agreement.

Pleasingly both teams acknowledged the strong alignment our project has with both the National Food Security Strategy and the new National Water Agreement, with their focus on the sustainable use of water and the importance of irrigation water underpinning primary industries across the nation.

We met with a range of senior ministerial advisers including from the office of the Prime Minister, Treasurer, Industry & Innovation and Agriculture.

We also had the opportunity to catch up with the Member for Wright, the Hon. Scott Buchholz and the Member for Blair the Hon. Shayne Neumann, both who continue to be genuine supporters and strong advocates for our project.

Back home over March, the project provided updates to advisers for the Queensland Treasurer and the Minister for Primary Industries. Our ongoing engagement with Minister Leahy and her office continues.

DID YOU KNOW?

AUSVEG, the peak industry group for vegetable growers, has launched a campaign to get Australians eating more vegetables.  The Plus One Serve campaign is part of a broader initiative to improve dietary habits and reduce chronic disease.

Our project is now engaged with AUSVEG and is seeking its support and advocacy.

PHASE TWO OF OUR DIGITAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY

We have launched the Phase 2 of our Customer and Community Awareness Program.

Our campaign, via a new project LinkedIn and Facebook sites, will continue to focus on the benefits the scheme will deliver to the Lockyer Valley and Somerset, and broader Queensland.

Just a reminder of the links below if you haven’t already jumped on board.

The LVSWSS forms part of the Water Initiatives in the Lockyer Valley commitment being delivered under the SEQ City Deal, a partnership between the Australian and Queensland governments and the Council of Mayors SEQ, with 29 commitments being delivered to generate long-lasting benefits for the fast-growing region.

The Water Initiatives in the Lockyer Valley commitment is comprised of the LVSWSS and the SEQ Agricultural Water Assessment (SEQAgRWA), which is developing longer-term water security planning for the region. The LVSWSS is funded with contributions from the Australian Government of $10 million and Lockyer Valley Regional Council and Somerset Regional Council of $0.8 million. The Queensland Government has committed $2.5 million to the SEQAgRWA.