Need water for your small business or community club? Let us know.

Community groups managing sporting fields or public green spaces, and small businesses in Brisbane and surrounds may have an opportunity to capitalise on unallocated water that could be made available via water licences.

DRDMW Executive Director South Region Hamish Butler said there was 100 megalitres of unallocated water from the Lower Brisbane River and Cabbage Tree Creek catchments that could help save costs for small businesses and community groups around Brisbane if it were made available.

“We are limiting this expression of interest to those who manage community facilities and small businesses, just to assess what the level of demand is and then we can look at the available water in the system and make a decision about how much we can allocate and the terms of those additional licences,” he said.

“We want to disburse this water in a way that benefits the community – this is a great way to help the clubs and groups that perhaps irrigate sporting fields, water parks or other public spaces that provide social benefits to the community,” he said.

A community facility could include recreational spaces such as:

• Sporting clubs and fields
• Leisure centres
• Showgrounds
• PCYC or Scouts facilities
• Green spaces for public amenities
• Water parklands
• Not-for-profit community gardens.

Small businesses would include those that have less than 20 employees.

The water is currently unallocated under the region’s water plan, which means using it would not impact the local environment or existing water users. By making this water available for use by local facilities and businesses, the Queensland Government is helping the community and economy get the most out of the State’s water resources.

Providing this water for licenced use will also reduce demand levels on the SEQ Water Grid, which will help keep water in the grid so we’re more prepared for drought conditions.

Depending on the level of interest, next steps would involve inviting applications for water licences under a Terms of Sale next year.

Expressions of interest in accessing this water are welcomed until 5pm Friday 3 February 2023.

More information on how to submit an EOI can be found on the department's website. Or, to talk to someone about this water, email unallocatedwaterseq@rdmw.qld.gov.au or phone 1800 994 188.

-ENDS-

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