CENTRAL Queensland farmers will be able to bid online from 5pm today (Tuesday) on 30,000 megalitres water from the still to be constructed Rookwood Weir.
Costing $352 million, construction on the promised 76,000 megalitre dam is scheduled to start by April 2021, for wet commissioning in January 2024.
However, there are fears the Sunwater storage to be built Fitzroy River, 66km south west of Rockhampton, may be as small 54,000ML, raising concerns about the eventual cost of the water.
Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham said the tender which opened today was for medium priority water for agricultural and non-urban use.
The tender closes on July 21, and contracts should be in place with the successful tenderers by September, he said.
In addition, expressions of interest will open on a second tranche of at least 7500ML of smaller lots of medium priority water. The EOIs remain open until the end of the year.
"A project like this is a once-in-a-generation game changer for a region," Dr Lynham said.
"The Palaszczuk Government's economic plan for Queensland, Unite and Recover, is focussed on building our traditional strengths like agriculture to create local jobs, as well as building infrastructure.
"We're starting to deliver on that plan, with a $50 billion infrastructure guarantee to support communities and jobs across Queensland."
LNP Natural Resources Shadow Minister Dale Last said the build timeframes had already blown out from two to three years.
"Labor has refused to confirm that the weir will be the full 76,000ML as promised, not the downsized 54,000ML currently being considered," Mr Last said.
"This is not the Rookwood that Central Queenslanders were promised.
"The Palaszczuk Labor Government is failing Queensland with its anti-dam, anti-regions agenda."
Rookwood Weir was first promised in 2006, almost 15 years ago.
