Basin Toolkit boosting jobs and protecting the environment

March 25, 2021

The Coalition Government has approved 10 environmental projects for funding through the Northern Basin Toolkit that will create jobs in Basin communities and improve the health of northern rivers.

Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said funding is being made available immediately.

“Around $90 million of the $180 million Toolkit package will support New South Wales and Queensland to fast-track the delivery of four projects to ensure communities see the benefits sooner,” Minister Pitt said.

“It is critical that we accelerate the delivery of Toolkit projects.

“Delivery of the projects should commence this year and provide much-needed economic stimulus to regional communities and improve environmental outcomes in the northern Basin,” Minister Pitt said.

Maranoa MP David Littleproud said 6 of the projects will benefit Maranoa.

“I am pleased to see a number of important environmental projects funded in Maranoa through the Northern Basin Toolkit, including 3 fast-tracked projects,” Mr Littleproud said.

“$6.5 million has been committed to the Queensland Fish-friendly Water Extraction project, which will install diversion screen technology on water extraction points to reduce fish losses in the Condamine-Balonne and Border Rivers region.

“$20.75 million will go towards the NSW Fish for the Future: Fish-friendly Water Extraction project, and $57.2 million to support the NSW Fish for the Future: Reconnecting the Northern Basin project. This project will install fishways to improve native fish access and provide a connection between the Southern and Northern Basin and into Queensland.

“Three further projects – The Enhance Flows Through the Lower Balonne River System Bifurcation Weirs project, the Queensland Reconnecting Catchments: Condamine-Balonne project, and the Queensland Improving Within-Catchment Fish Resilience Lower Balonne project – will be supported by $2.6 million in Toolkit funding to develop a business case.

“The Toolkit measures, along with other activities in the northern Basin, will create opportunities for our local communities, improve river management across the northern Basin and protect water for the environment.

Minister Pitt said it’s about getting on with delivering the Coalition Government’s $180 million Toolkit measures as soon as possible.

“I took advice from an independent scientific panel that assessed a range of possible Toolkit projects to determine which would have the best ecological benefits,” Minister Pitt said.

The Northern Basin Toolkit is a suite of environmental works and measures, each with a number of targeted projects and activities.

The Toolkit is designed to provide genuine complementary measures to improve the health of northern rivers. This supports keeping an additional 70 GL of water in productive use under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan in New South Wales and Queensland.

For more information on the 10 approved Northern Basin Toolkit projects, visit the Northern Basin Toolkit projects page on the DAWE website or the Northern Basin Projects page on MDBA’s website