Mtms Stage Improvements Tender

ScopeThe proposed Myalup-Wellington Water Project comprises a range of integrated above and below dam infrastructure components aimed at reducing salinity in the Wellington Dam and surrounding area. The project was proposed by a private company Collie Water which was selected as the preferred proponent by the Western Australian Government under the Water for Food programme after an expression of interest EOI process to identify solutions for the Wellington Dams salinity problem.The Projects capital cost is estimated at 396 million with operating and maintenance costs estimated at 290.5 million. It is expected that the project would take five to seven years to implement.In June 2016 the Federal Government announced 1 million from the National Water Development Fund for a feasibility study into the proposed project. The Western Australian Government allocated a further 37 million to the project in January 2017 under the Royalties for Regions initiative.In addition to the already allocated funding sources described above the Federal Government will provide an additional 140 million in funding and a concessional loan of up to 50 million with Collie Water expecting to invest 169 million in the project. Collie Waters funding contribution will be made possible by the sale of at least 10 GL per year of desalinated potable water to Water Corporation.The project would involve- Diversion of circa 14 GL per year of high salinity low volume inflows in the Collie River East Branch into a disused mine void for storage- Pumping the stored water to a newly-constructed 20 GL per year desalination plant- Construction of a new weir at Burekup upstream of its current location to provide increased head pressure enabling water from Wellington Dam to be gravity-fed to the majority of the Collie River Irrigation District CRID and the Myalup Irrigated Agricultural Precinct MIAP- Building of a closed pipeline system from the new Burekup Weir to replace existing open channels to maintain pressure prevent seepage leakage and evaporation and enable monitoring of water usage and- Reforestation of approximately 2000 to 4000 hectares of plantation in the catchment if the project goes ahead.Infrastructure Australia evaluated the Myalup-Wellington Water Project in November 2017 which resulted in the project being elevated from a Priority Initiative to a Priority Project on Infrastructure Australias Priority List.