The Queensland Water Commission has developed the draft SEQ Water Strategy to deliver a new standard of water security in South East Queensland.

The Strategy will deliver the Water Supply Guarantee of supplying sufficient water to support a comfortable, sustainable and prosperous lifestyle while meeting the needs of urban, industrial and rural growth, and the environment.

The vision for the future includes a well informed, water wise community that understands the balance between water security, quality and cost and is engaged in the planning process as decisions are made. Key elements of this vision are:

• Water efficiency will be embedded throughout the supply and demand chain;
• Water security will be managed through diversified and interconnected water supplies;
• The region’s water resources will be managed to ensure the health of our environment, particularly our waterways and bays; and
• The Strategy provides a comprehensive planning and implementation framework to secure water supplies for SEQ for the next 50 years.

The Millennium Drought has changed the way the SEQ community thinks about water. Every drop of water is precious. The Strategy reflects this changed attitude through the vision of the Water Supply Guarantee for SEQ. The Strategy was developed using a new planning methodology and a comprehensive water balance model that, as far as possible, considers climate change, climate variability, population growth and other regional factors affecting supply and demand.

SEQ will have a water supply network that is increasingly diversified and interconnected. There will be water supplies located throughout the region that, over time, can supply all parts of SEQ with reticulated drinking water supplies through an expanding grid of inter-connecting pipe networks.

We will have a range of water supplies including new dams and weirs, desalination and water recycling. This combination will make the most of the rain we receive and protect us from periods of drought.

All South East Queenslanders will have access to the region’s water resources. Our water supplies will be managed on an integrated basis to provide efficient, sustainable and equitable bulk water services. There will be pre-determined Drought Response Plans in place to meet our water needs during future periods of prolonged drought. Corridors and potential sites will be identified and preserved so we can build the best new water supply infrastructure in the future.

Publications

A number of key publications and projects map out long-term water supply strategies:

• The Queensland Water Commission's Final Report to the Queensland Government: Urban water supply arrangements in South East Queensland (SEQ) - May 2007 has now been released. View the Report and our fact sheets.
• The Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water released Water for South East Queensland - A long-term solution (PDF, 2MB) in August 2006.
• The South East Queensland System Operating Plan - July 2008 (PDF, 894KB) confirms key elements of current water infrastructure.