30.09.2006

BROOLOO grazier Ron McMah’s quest to see the Traveston Crossing Dam plan abandoned by the State Government and a much larger Borumba Dam built as a major storage continues, with another plan presented to the State Government.

A few months ago Mr McMah took Premier Peter Beattie and some senior advisers on a trip through the country behind Borumba Dam to show them the potential of the area as a deep-water storage, capable of holding two million megalitres of water.

Since then the issue has been further looked at but dismissed by officers from the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy on the grounds of yield, because of the catchment’s rainfall — a claim disputed by other consultants.

Now Mr McMah has written to the Premier proposing that a much larger Borumba Dam is constructed about 300 metres downstream of the existing structure and that it be part of a water grid from nearby catchments, utilising four dams and waterways to harvest water.

The two page letter has been received by Premier Beattie who this week advised Mr McMah that he has now forwarded it to new State Infrastructure Minister, Deputy Premier and Treasurer Anna Bligh, for further investigation. He assured the writer that the letter had not been disregarded and that the issue would be looked at further.

Mr McMah said the Premier had told him on the day he took him through the country behind Borumba Dam that he would like an alternative to the Traveston Crossing dam proposal but there appeared to be none and that water for the south-east was a priority.

He said he believed the Premier would change his mind if an option that provided the same amount of water or better was found, and if it suited the Premier’s advisers.

“In my plan water could be harnessed from four catchments — Wivenhoe, Somerset, Borumba and the Mary River — giving a two million megalitre deep water storage in one dam that would be much more economical, with no land resumptions and providing a more reliable water supply,” Mr McMah said.

“My proposal is to build a new dam wall, about 300 metres in front of the existing dam wall at Borumba and make it as high as possible.

“My advice is that it would be able to go high enough to obtain or get very close to two million megalitres with the inclusion of two small saddle dams.

“Traveston, at the completion of stage three, would only hold 660,000Ml and be subject to high evaporation and seepage.

“The second part of my plan is that a weir be built on the Mary River at a suitable location and water pumped from there to Borumba when the river is flowing in abundance i.e. summer wet season, via a pipeline and pumping station. This will be sufficient to top up any shortfall.”

Mr McMah said the third part of his plan was to build a pipeline, as already proposed from Somerset and Wivenhoe dams to Borumba. It would be used to transfer water between the three dams when there was an excess in various catchments to keep all of them topped up.

The water from all three dams would be pumped to Jimna from where it would gravity-feed to the dams when needed.

He said the Borumba mega storage would allow the area to be opened up as a wilderness boating tourist area, and it could have major benefits without the need to remove people from their homes and destroy the Mary Valley.

Mr McMah now awaits Ms Bligh’s reply on the proposal which has already been seen by other parties.