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Haughton Pipeline Project

Investment	$274 million for Stage 2, $225 million for Stage 1
Jobs	300 for Stage 2, 1,000 for Stage 1
Goal	4. A sustainable destination that embraces and participates in the arts, sports and events and recreational activities.
Strategic Purpose	A water security initiative supporting the city’s Ross River Dam water catchment by providing greater capacity to deliver raw water into the Dam to augment or “top up” water levels during periods of very low rainfall.
Status	Stage 2 construction pending, Stage 1 complete

Townsville City Council began preliminary work on Stage 2 of the Haughton pipeline in 2020.

Design work for Stage 2 of the Haughton pipeline has identified an alignment for the Stage 2 pipeline. Cost estimates are ongoing for construction and installation of approximately 30km of 1.8metre pipeline, development of a new pump station and the new power supply options required to extend the existing Stage 1 pipeline from the Haughton River to the Burdekin River in the vicinity of Clare.

Stage 2 Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Download the Project Timeline (PDF, 82.7 KB)

Project Overview

A Townsville City Council and Queensland Government funded water security initiative for Townsville, the pipeline will support the city’s Ross River Dam water catchment. When complete, the water pipeline will provide greater capacity to provide raw water into the Ross River Dam to “top up” water levels for the Townsville community and industry during periods of very low rainfall.

The pipeline alignment, design and Commonwealth EPBC environmental approval are complete. The final stages of land tenure planning are being progressed for the greenfield Stage 2 project. The completed pipeline will be a major piece of infrastructure that will serve our community for over 50 years. Stage 2 of the Haughton pipeline will connect and extend the existing Stage 1 pipeline, completed in 2019, from the Haughton River to the Burdekin River near Clare.

Funded by Townsville City Council and the Queensland Government, the investment for Stage 2 is $274 million, with $195 million contributed by the Queensland Government.

Works to date include:

All the IPLEX-manufactured, Australian made Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) pipes have been shipped from Adelaide to the Port of Townsville in four shiploads between September 2022 and April 2023.
Securing Commonwealth Department of Environment and Climate Change Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) approval in February 2023.
Major contracts – construction, under bore drilling, design and engineering services, contract management services, and pipe supply and numerous professional service providers have been engaged.
Agreements have been established with major material and equipment suppliers and local construction contractors to assist with logistics of supply, selection of materials, constructability in design, risk identification, and programming of delivery.
A Cultural Heritage Management Agreement was negotiated and signed with Bindal Traditional Owners. The Agreement was reviewed and recommitted to in December 2022.
All bore drilling, ground survey and environmental survey work is complete.