Australasian Mining Review
Issue link: http://ebook.aprs.com.au/i/37922
268 SunWater Making water work for mining was fi rst established in the small Central Queensland cotton growing town of Theodore more than 80 years ago. I But times have changed. Water users, particularly from the mining sector, are demanding more complex water management solutions and services than ever before. And why shouldn’t they — their entire industry would grind to a dusty halt without water — so ensuring the right water management solutions are in place is paramount to Queensland’s resource industry success story. SunWater understands this. In fact, with more than 80 years of experience in the delivery of bulk water, there is no other water company in Queensland that understands it better. It’s why so many of today’s existing mines and increasingly tomorrow’s new mining ventures, are swift to secure SunWater’s services when it comes to providing strategic water solutions to meet their needs. But expertly managing water and providing critical water supply solutions is not a skill any water company can buy in — it needs to be earned. SunWater staff are some of the most qualifi ed in the nation, thanks to their involvement in the development of more than 30 major dams, 63 weirs and a network of more than 2600km of water pipelines across regional Queensland. The team at SunWater are driven by innovation and motivated by success, which is an invaluable trait when you are in charge of delivering more than 1.3 million megalitres of water, some 40% of Queensland’s commercial requirements, to a portfolio of 5000 clients. Via regional and metropolitan hubs, SunWater taps into decades of localised knowledge that spans industries from mining, energy, urban and agricultural. And it’s with this intricate knowledge that they can provide solutions that deliver cost effi ciencies for mining operators at the same time as providing solutions that work for the environment, local communities and government. n simpler times, water management meant lifting the dam gate, removing a channel board or opening up a pipeline valve to ensure water users had access to supply. That’s the way it was done when SunWater It’s what SunWater does — makes water work. They’re not the only ones who think so. SunWater’s success with some of its early projects has been key in building its portfolio of external asset management contracts with some of Queensland’s major mining operations. Whilst the main driver for mining operators to engage SunWater to manage their water infrastructure assets is cost effi ciency, SunWater’s clients have comfort in the knowledge that established water managers are looking after their valuable assets and are capable of delivering on agreed water supply commitments. It’s no wonder why mining operators are selecting SunWater to build and operate their assets. Day in, day out SunWater provides a high level of water supply security through its $7 billion asset base of water infrastructure, assets which have been key to underpinning industrial developments right across regional Queensland. As integral to industrial production as water itself, SunWater’s asset base is continually expanding through an infrastructure development program that aims to increase capacity and cut short the days of commercial operators scrambling to shore up water security. It’s all part of the SunWater ideology — delivering today, securing tomorrow. With the knowledge and experience of one of Australia’s leading water infrastructure companies, SunWater is meeting future supply needs now, planning more than $2 billion in regional bulk water infrastructure projects in Queensland over the coming year. It’s with this foresight and focus on the future that SunWater has shown the mining industry its water management solutions tackle not just the daily cycle of water, but the higher task of providing a reliable water supply to last the life of a mine. Years before the much publicised mining boom swept across regional Queensland, SunWater was actively investigating strategic infrastructure developments to deliver water supply solutions in the Bowen, Surat and Galilee basins for new and established miners. In the case of the Bowen, Surat and Galilee mining basins, SunWater’s experience and ongoing focus on planning for industrial water supply needs has given miners confi dence that water infrastructure won’t be an issue for their projects anytime in the near future. [Water Supply and the Infrastructure Required] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _