Mackay Isaac Whitsunday Regional Water Strategy to unlock the economic value of water assets.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) has released the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday (MIW) Regional Water Strategy to identify opportunities to unlock the economic value of the region’s existing water assets and to understand how water can support future economic prosperity.
The MIW Regional Water Strategy project was led by a Steering Committee comprising of a range of representatives from industry, local government, and state government agencies.
GW3 Chief Executive Officer Ms Kylie Porter said the purpose of the Strategy is not to narrow the conversation around water to only infrastructure or delivery, but rather identify holistic water strategies that will be impactful for ensuring the region’s economic future.
“This report is vital to help understand the extent to which access to reliable water supplies is constraining the economic development in our region both now and into the future,” Ms Porter said.
The Strategy recommendations have been grouped into two key focus areas: Removing barriers and supporting economic development and supplying water at the right scale, time, and location.
Some of the key recommendations for removing barriers and supporting economic development across the MIW region include marketing the region’s sustainability credentials to encourage investment; supporting the MIW region’s existing irrigated cropping to realise opportunities to increase farm-gate margins in the long term.
Under the umbrella of Supplying water at the right time and scale to meet new demand some of the recommendations included: Growing the Bowen Food Bowl through a range of infrastructure options; developing a Collinsville agricultural precinct to meet regional needs; and supporting world class aquaculture industry through alignment of policies and underpinning the Isaac resources hub, with soft and hard infrastructure.
Ms Porter said one of the objectives of the report is to enhance current knowledge base underpinning water infrastructure planning and decision making in the MIW region.
“The MIW Regional Water Strategy quantifies both regional water assets, and the current and future demand for water and provides a blueprint for leveraging these assets to secure our region’s economic future.
“This project only examined the opportunities associated with water through an economic development lens as opposed to an environmental, social or community view, although these were considered.
“The report will now be socialised with key stakeholders and GW3 will champion the focus areas and associated activity for the recommendations, including representations to state and federal governments,” Ms Porter said.
The MIW Regional Water Strategy is designed to:
1. Realise regional economic, social, and environmental resilience (including the face of change).
2. Support diversity and expansion of industry across the region (including diversity with agriculture).
3. Ensure value adding opportunities are explored and enabled.
4. Achieve strategic market-focused collaboration between industry and all levels of government.
5. Ensure export opportunities are diversified and realised.
6. Achieve long-tern water security and flexibility for all water users.
To read the MIW Regional Water Strategy report in full visit here.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance is the region’s peak, independent economic development body committed to making the Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday region strong for generations.