Hopes rise for Wellington Dam cash

Harvey Water general manager Bradd Hamersley says Infrastructure Australia’s listing of the Myalup Wellington Project as a priority is a good sign the project will receive Federal and State funding.

Infrastructure Australia, the nation's independent infrastructure adviser, has identified more than $55 billion worth of nation-shaping projects in its latest Infrastructure Priority List.

The Myalup Wellington Project is the only WA project identified on the list.

It is also the only water project from across Australia classified as a High Priority or Priority Project.

Mr Hamersley said he hoped to see an official announcement from the Federal Government in the near future.

“It is a sign that in the next six to eight weeks we will see a favourable announcement from the Federal Government to provide some funding for the project which will then trigger the State, who have offered to put up $37 million of their funds,” he said.

“I am putting in $30 million of my members’ funds.

“We are working very, very hard to make sure this project happens.”

Mr Hamersley said if the project received funding approval he would look to extract water from the system in the first winter flows of this year.

“That would immediately commence the reversal of the salinity situation that we see in Wellington Dam,” he said. “That is subject to some approvals and we need to get a financial close with the State Government, but that would be our ideal timeline.

“It is quite a quick moving project and you would be looking at large scale construction being completed within 12 months.

“The total implementation of the project, and the time to clean up Wellington Dam in its completeness, is a three to seven year proposition depending on which bit you are talking about.”