Lower Brisbane River and Cabbage Tree Creek sub-catchments unallocated water release
Applications are now closed for water released under this process.
The department made 100 megalitres (ML) of unallocated water available for use by community facilities and small-scale businesses in the Lower Brisbane River and Cabbage Tree Creek sub-catchments.
Licences to take this water helped applicants manage their costs of providing high-quality facilities and services for the community.
This process to make unallocated water available followed a call for expressions of interest (EOIs) which closed in February 2023. The department reviewed the EOIs received to determine the level of demand for this water, water product availability and pricing structures.
Applications for up to 10ML/year were open to small-scaled commercial enterprises or community facilities such as:
- showgrounds
- community leisure centres
- PCYC or Scouts grounds
- green space for public amenities
- water parklands
- golf clubs
- sports fields
- community gardens.
An evaluation report will be available by 30 June 2026 and will be included on this webpage.
Purpose of the release
The release of unallocated water in the Lower Brisbane River and Cabbage Tree Creek sub-catchments was tailored to maximise social and economic benefit to the local community and promote the efficient use of available water resources by easing reliance on urban drinking water supplies.
The capped volume per applicant maximises the number of applicants who could benefit from this process.
About the water resource
In December 2019, the Moreton Water Plan was amended to include 100ML of general or strategic reserve. This water was retrieved from expired or surrendered water licences in the Lower Brisbane River and the Cabbage Tree Creek sub-catchments areas since the original release of water plan in 2007 and is not deemed new water.
Our water planning process has ensured the extraction of this water is within sustainable limits for the health of the water system.
Impact on existing entitlements and the environment
Licences granted include conditions that were designed to meet environmental flow objectives and protect existing users' access to water.
The annual volumetric limits granted provided limits that ensured new entitlements did not compromise the reliability of existing entitlements. Flow thresholds will ensure that peak flows continue to provide ecological benefits to waterholes, floodplains, estuaries and wetlands.
Contact us
- Email: Unallocatedwaterseq@rdmw.qld.gov.au
- Phone: 1800 566 065