General News
3 August, 2026
Four Communities Water Supply Project tender awarded
Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) last week put in place arrangements for the signing of a tender for the long awaited Four Communities Water Supply Project (FCWSP).
The project will mean a secure supply of water for Greenmount, Cambooya, Nobby and Clifton with construction expected to begin in 2027.
At the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 21 July, Council authorised the Chief Executive Officer, Sal Petroccitto, OAM, GAICD, to finalise and execute the contract with the successful applicant.
TRC Deputy Mayor and Strategic Water Planning and Capital Delivery portfolio spokesperson Cr Rebecca Vonhoff said the milestone followed a competitive tender process involving parties short listed through Council’s earlier Expression of Interest process.
“This milestone keeps momentum behind the project and brings us another step closer to delivering a permanent treated water supply for Cambooya, Clifton, Greenmount and Nobby,” Cr Vonhoff said.
“Water is our most valuable resource and the Four Communities Water Supply Project will help ensure residents have access to a safe, reliable and secure drinking water supply for generations to come.”
Cr Vonhoff said Council’s progress on the treatment plant complemented the Queensland Government’s recent announcement of the construction contract for the Mt Kynoch to Greenmount section of the Toowoomba to Warwick Pipeline.
“The new treatment plant, located on Council-owned land at 13 Haldon Street in Greenmount, will treat raw water from Cressbrook Dam delivered via Seqwater’s Toowoomba to Warwick Pipeline,” she said.
“Once operational, the facility will produce treated drinking water that meets all regulatory requirements before being stored at the existing Haldon Street Reservoir and distributed to the four communities.
“With a total project cost of around $30 million, this is a long-term investment in water security and future growth for communities that have historically relied on bore water.
“Water security remains a top priority for Council and this project demonstrates what can be achieved through strong collaboration between Council and the Queensland Government to deliver essential infrastructure for our Region.”
Subject to the successful completion of contractual arrangements, the project is expected to be delivered over the next three years.
The Four Communities Water Supply Project is being jointly funded by the Queensland Government as
part of its Toowoomba to Warwick Pipeline project and Toowoomba Regional Council.
The Queensland Government has committed $15 million towards the Four Communities Water Supply Project.
However, not everyone in Council was happy with the process through which the tender was awarded.
Aside from the tender, Cr Bill Cahill voiced disappointment over the lack of transparency in the process, particularly with the addition of a Fluoride Treatment component to the plant which was kept confidential with the tender and contract details.
“It’s disappointing, chair,” Cr Cahill said during the meeting of council.
“It’s not what I’d call the best example of democracy.”
While the topic of fluoride can be a contentious issue, whether it be based on the compound itself or the method of administration; through a population’s drinking water, for Cr Bill Cahill, it was first and foremost a democratic issue.
“(Fluoride) just does not qualify as a topic for a confidential closed meeting,” Cr Cahill said, describing his opposition to the motion as predominately a democratic issue.
“We don’t get a choice; if we have tap water or a shower, its going to be fluoride,“ he said.
Cr Cahill cites how in Europe they infuse things like table salt with fluoride, giving individuals choice over what compounds they’re putting in their body.
He stressed that these are his views, not the views of Council.
“Under the legislation we have no mandate to provide fluoride,” he said.
“Our mandate is to provide safe drinking water, not a position of God making medical decisions for people.”
Cr Cahill went on to describe how, of 77 Queensland councils, only 17 have adopted fluoride into their water supply.
Fluoride is a compound which prevents tooth decay and cavities.
But excessive fluoride intake and its relative toxicity has led several countries to ban the mineral.
Fluoride is a natural compound, usually found naturally in water but also in seafood, bones and shells.
Concerns about neuro-developmental impacts and the toxicity of excessive doses has led to some push back against the use of the mineral in drinking water.
Cr Cahill’s issue, first and foremost, is with the lack of choice in the legislation.
From the motion remaining a confidential issue, to the administration of the fluoride, Cr Cahill describes it ultimately, as a lack of choice.
No doubt many in Council are keen to get this project up and running as quickly as possible.
Cr Cahill’s point is that no one wants a corrosive precedent set by doing so.
Construction is expected to begin early in 2027.
Preliminary work has begun this year, particularly around Greenmount.
To find out more about the Greenmount Water Treatment Plant and the FCWSP, visit Council’s website or call 131 872.
