Endless Studies, Zero Dams

The Urannah Dam project was cancelled by the Albanese Labor government in 2022. I wanted to see the final business case and environmental impact study (EIS) to see what they're hiding. The Commonwealth threw $22.65 million into the business case and approvals, then Bowen River Utilities withdrew the scheme from Queensland's environmental assessment processes in December 2022. When I asked why it was withdrawn, where the final business case is, and where the EIS is, the department agreed to provide it on notice. They claimed that because of "Commonwealth-state relations," the ownership of these taxpayer-funded documents rests with the state, though they "encourage" publication. I’ve requested copies if they have access to them. I asked if the bureaucrats are looking at the bigger picture regarding future water demand in the Burdekin Basin. There is massive potential in the Great Australian Infrastructure Project, which would see a major steel mill established at Collinsville, along with other mills in Central Queensland. These visionary projects will have a massive appetite for water. The department representative admitted he only knows about these vital industrial opportunities from reading the newspapers. They did note they are partnering with Queensland on a broader "Burdekin Regional Water Assessment" to look at basin-wide supply and demand, however it’s clear they are disconnected from real-world economic development. Whether it’s Paradise Dam or Urannah Dam, we are seeing the same pattern: endless assessments, massive cost escalations, secret reports and a total lack of urgency from state and federal governments to actually build the water infrastructure Australia. Transcript: https://www.malcolmrobertsqld.com.au/endless-studies-zero-dams/