Minister for Regional Water Niall Blair today announced John Holland MPC Group Joint Venture will design and construct the River Murray to Broken Hill pipeline at a total cost of $467 million, in what is a game-changing piece of water infrastructure, and a win for Australian steel.
“The people of Broken Hill have just as much right to a safe and reliable supply of water as anyone else across the state and we’re determined to deliver it to them,” Mr Blair said.
It’s estimated the project will inject around $50 million into the Wentworth and Broken Hill economies, generating more than 150 local jobs, with a total workforce expected to reach 500 at its peak – importantly, the project also supports steel jobs in the Illawarra.
“The 270 km pipeline will be constructed substantially from steel rolled in Australia, strengthening the NSW Government’s position as the single largest domestic purchaser of Australian steel,” Mr Blair said.
“The Government has carefully considered every possible option for securing a long-term water supply for Broken Hill, and today’s announcement shows we’re now getting on with the job. Releasing details of the project’s business case marks a commitment of this Government to provide timely information to the community on water projects going forward.”
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the announcement was further evidence of the Government reinvesting the state’s economic success back into its communities.
“This is an investment made possible by our asset recycling strategy and is the centerpiece of the $1 billion Safe and Secure Water fund, which was announced in the 2017-18 NSW Budget,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The project will be managed by WaterNSW, which has a strong track record in key water infrastructure projects, and will drive its successful delivery.
“The good news for the community is that detailed planning and design works will commence immediately with construction to start next year.”
The pipeline will be completed by the end of 2018. WaterNSW also awarded the John Holland TRILITY Joint Venture an Operations and Maintenance contract for a fixed price 20-year contract sum of $107.3 million.
A summary of the business case can be found at www.water.nsw.gov.au