During Parliamentary Budget Estimates on Wednesday 27 July 2022, I asked the Water Minister for details of government-owned corporation Sunwater's dealings with Adani.
You can read the answers below or in the official Queensland Parliament Record of Proceedings (Hansard).
Mr BERKMAN: I would like to put a question to the CEO of Sunwater if I could, please. Documents that were obtained by the Australian Conservation Foundation under RTI last year showed that Sunwater has, at least previously, held contracts with Adani, or Bravus as they call themselves these days. Does Sunwater have any current contracts in place to supply water to Adani and for what projects?
Mr Stockton: As a water service provider, Sunwater supports all industrial irrigation and urban customers through the access to a commercial water supply. Sunwater owns a significant network of water infrastructure in the region, particularly in the Bowen Basin area, and the supply of raw water to mining customers is part of our business. We apply a consistent approach to all industrial customers. All our contract details with our Sunwater customers are, in fact, commercial-in-confidence.
Mr BERKMAN: Despite being a government owned corporation, am I to assume that you could not tell me how much water Sunwater has agreed to provide to Adani and for what cost?
Mr Stockton: That would be a commercial arrangement and would be commercial-inconfidence.
Mr BERKMAN: One final try, Chair, if I might. Can you tell us anything about the source of any water that Sunwater is providing to Adani?
Mr Stockton: Water that is provided by Sunwater to our customers through the Bowen Basin is supplied from two key sources. The first source primarily is from the Burdekin River by the Burdekin-Moranbah pipeline pumped from Gorge Weir south into the Bowen Basin. The second source of water is from Eungella Dam via the Eungella pipeline.
Mr BERKMAN: Finally, can you specify where that water is going from to supply which of Adani’s projects?
Mr Stockton: As I indicated, that water supply is into the Bowen Basin via our pipeline network.
Mrs FRECKLINGTON: It has been answered, Mr Chair.
CHAIR: Yes.
Mr BERKMAN: Specifically, Chair, for which project? That was the other element of the question.
Mr Stockton: I do not have the detail of Adani’s particular projects by name or by number. The network of pipelines that we have through the Bowen Basin is there to support a range of customers, whether they be irrigation customers, predominantly industrial customers or some urban supply customers.