Queensland Minister Calls for New Water Solutions as Western Downs Development Accelerates

Speaking at an economic forum focused on the proposed Western Downs Digital Park, Leahy said increasing industrial activity, energy projects, agriculture, and feedlot operations would place growing demands on regional water supplies.

The minister welcomed major developments planned for the region, including oil and gas exploration in the Taroom Trough, a proposed $32 billion data centre project, and continued growth in the agricultural sector.

“For that to expand we do need to find new water sources. We have to look at all of the options available,” Leahy said.

Leahy, who also serves as the Member for the vast southern Queensland electorate of Warrego, criticised the federal government’s water buyback program under the Murray-Darling Basin framework, arguing that it has reduced access to water for regional industries.

“Once they take that water out of this region it can no longer be traded back to other industries,” she said.

She claimed the federal government’s policies had effectively forced Queensland to examine new water infrastructure opportunities to support future economic development.

“The federal government is forcing us to go and look at all of the different options that are available for this region to get new water.”

The minister suggested the region’s growing industrialisation could create opportunities for both government and private sector investment in major water infrastructure projects, including the long-discussed Nathan Dam proposal.

“Are there options of Nathan Weir? Nathan Dam? What are those options available to us?” Leahy said.

The proposed $3.4 billion Nathan Dam project has been debated for years as a potential solution to water supply challenges in southern Queensland, with supporters arguing it could provide long-term benefits for agriculture, industry, and regional communities.

With major investments and industrial projects continuing to emerge across the Western Downs, water security is expected to remain a key policy issue as governments and industry leaders seek to balance economic growth with sustainable resource management.