Funding turns on resilience tap for Kuranda Water Treatment Plant

Kuranda’s Water Treatment Plant will be operating at full capacity once more following a multimillion-dollar joint funding commitment from the Australian and Queensland Governments.

Located approximately 25 kilometres west of Cairns on the Atherton Tablelands, Kuranda faces frequent impacts from tropical lows and cyclones, which can interrupt essential services like water supply.

Planned works will return the treatment plant to full capacity following extensive damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023.

With design works for the upgrades completed, Mareeba Shire Council is now working to deliver this important project for their community.

Resilience improvements include the construction of new water intake pipework and anchorage systems, raising the plant’s intake structure, and upgrading the sludge thickener armour for increased durability.

This will significantly strengthen the region’s water security during and immediately after future disaster events, ease pressure on emergency services, and support long term resilience across the region.

As Kuranda’s primary source of potable water, restoring full operations to the treatment plant and ensuring its resilience against future disasters is a critical and much welcome outcome for residents.

This project is being delivered as part of the $450 million Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Program (QRRRP), a five-year Queensland Government commitment to improve the state’s resilience to natural disasters.

The QRRRP is funded through efficiencies realised under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).