Cairns Water Security Upgrade

The Cairns Water Security Stage 1 (CWSS1) project is one of the most significant infrastructures undertaken by the Cairns Regional Council. Driven by the urgent need to meet future demand from population growth, the CWSS1 will secure a safe, reliable, and sustainable water supply for the growing region representing a bold step forward in regional water security.
 
Appointed by Cairns Regional Council in December 2023, John Holland is the lead contractor for the design and construction of this vital project.

GKL Group supplied Supervision services for the key fix form pour concrete packages for the tanks and main water treatment plant. The project included:

• A water intake at the Mulgrave River, near the Desmond Trannore Bridge, Gordonvale;
• A water treatment plant and water reservoirs (with storage capacities of 5ML and 8ML), on Council land located at the end of Jones Road, Gordonvale
• A new network of pipeline of approximately 30 kilometres of a mix of steel concrete-lined pipe, PVC, and polyethylene pipe to take raw water to the treatment plant and treated water from the plant to residents.
• Flood protection works at Behana Creek intake, to improve the quality and resilience of that water supply. The existing treatment plant at Behana will be made redundant by the new water treatment plant being built at Gordonvale.

Once operational, the facility will supply up to 60 megalitres of treated water per day significantly boosting the region’s water supply capacity. Cairns Water Security Stage 1 project is not just about pipes it’s about future-proofing a thriving, sustainable Cairns for generations to come.