en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 9, Queensland state-owned water utility Seqwater awarded the first construction contract for the Toowoomba-to-Warwick Pipeline to a joint venture between CPB Contractors and NACAP, valued at approximately $165 million.
Phase 1 of this long-planned water infrastructure project is expected to commence construction by the end of 2026, building the first section of pipeline connecting the inland Queensland cities of Toowoomba and Warwick, approximately 69 miles in length. The two cities are located about 90 minutes west of Brisbane. The project is expected to support approximately 400 construction jobs.
Seqwater is delivering the project on behalf of the Queensland Government to enhance Toowoomba's water security and protect the project corridor. Announcing the contractor, the utility's CEO Emma Thomas stated that the project could bring long-term benefits to the Southern Downs. The project plan includes two reservoirs, two pump stations, and two future off-take points. The route is primarily located within state and local road corridors and will use ductile iron cement-lined, mild steel cement-lined, and polyethylene pipes, with diameters ranging from DN125 to DN600. The alignment includes 64 watercourse crossings and 7 railway crossings. Most of the pipeline will be installed using conventional open-cut construction, but trenchless methods—including horizontal directional drilling and pipe jacking—are planned for major road, railway, and watercourse crossings to minimize surface impact.
The pipeline concept originated from the severe drought in 2020, which caused water levels at Warwick's primary water source, Leslie Dam, to drop to critically low levels. According to Seqwater's public environmental report, much of the northern route traverses expansive clays, transitioning southward into sandstone formations. Project planners identified shallow weathered basalt and sandstone, steep terrain, major watercourse crossings, and localized unstable areas as key geotechnical challenges, including 16 mapped landslide hazard zones totaling less than a mile. The federal environmental review referenced work by engineering consultancy SMEC, environmental consultancy Jacobs, and ecological consultancy Ecosure.
The state government revised the project delivery strategy earlier this year, splitting construction into two phases after updated water security assessments found a reduced near-term drought risk. Queensland Water Minister Ann Leahy stated that phasing the pipeline construction allows for balancing investment with long-term water security and ensures regional infrastructure keeps pace with growth, demand, and future opportunities. Phase 1 will lay the pipeline approximately 16 miles south of Toowoomba to Greenmount, while the remaining 40-mile section from Greenmount to Warwick will proceed based on future government decisions informed by regional water security needs.
Although the Phase 1 construction contract has been awarded, the project still requires federal environmental review under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) before construction can begin. During the public comment period, six submissions were received from individuals and community groups, expressing concerns about potential impacts on koala habitat, threatened species, habitat connectivity, and roadside vegetation. Seqwater stated that continuous route modifications and construction changes—including trenchless watercourse crossings and route adjustments to avoid sensitive habitats—have been implemented to reduce environmental impacts. Construction is expected to take approximately 30 months, depending on work package sequencing, weather, and regulatory approvals.
