Major dam and irrigation feasibility study secured in Queensland

ANZ’s Northern Team has been engaged by Townsville Enterprise Limited (TEL) to undertake the Hell’s Gate Dam and Irrigation Scheme Feasibility Study in the Upper Burdekin catchment of Northern Queensland. The 12-month study will determine the dam’s engineering, environmental and economic feasibility.

The Hell’s Gate Dam project has been in discussion since 1938 and has been the subject of a number of investigations in the 1970s through to 2014. This project will produce the first fully investigated feasibility study into the dam and irrigation scheme, and is a precursor to attracting investment for the construction of a multi-billion dollar project over the next 10 years.

SMEC, member of the Surbana Jurong Group, will lead a team of sub-contractors to complete the feasibility study into the one million megalitre dam and 100,000ha irrigation scheme.

SMEC Regional Manager Graeme Pollock said the company was proud to be leading a consortium of local businesses. “We have specifically partnered with leading local businesses to not only achieve the project objectives but also provide high-level expertise in areas such as cropping analysis, water resource modelling, environmental assessments and economic analysis which will be key to achieving the project,” he said.

SMEC has had a long association with Townsville and the North Queensland region and had conducted some of the original preliminary studies into Hell’s Gate Dam.

The scope of work includes:

• Water resource and cropping assessments
• Agronomy and field studies on soil conditions
• Concept engineering of Hell’s Gate Dam, Big Rocks Weir, irrigation infrastructure, power supply, road and associated infrastructure
• Water delivery to the City of Townsville
• Ecology and environmental assessment
• Stakeholder relations
• Economic assessments

There is also a strong possibility to follow the project through further development, detailed design and construction.