Work is officially underway on a $543 million upgrade to one of Western Australia’s most iconic pieces of infrastructure – the Goldfields and Agricultural Water Supply Scheme.

Delivered by Water Corporation, the project will upgrade the historic 566-kilometre pipeline running from Mundaring to the Goldfields, helping secure water supplies for more than 100,000 Western Australians across the Goldfields and Wheatbelt.

The works will include the replacement of 44.5 kms of ageing pipeline, along with the duplication of the Binduli Reservoir. Once complete, the upgrades will increase the scheme’s capacity by approximately 10 per cent, supporting continued population, business and industrial growth across regional WA.

Importantly for WA’s construction and engineering sectors, the project is expected to create more than 330 jobs during construction.

The investment will also flow through to the local supply chain, with $42.4 million worth of works allocated to local businesses, including $14 million specifically for Aboriginal businesses.

There is also a strong WA manufacturing component. New sections of pipeline will be manufactured in Kwinana, using Pilbara iron ore and Cockburn cement, and are being designed with a lifespan of up to 150 years.

Originally designed and constructed by engineer C.Y. O’Connor between 1898 and 1903, the Goldfields pipeline has played a critical role in WA’s development for more than a century.

More than 120 years later, this latest investment will not only extend the life of one of the State’s most significant infrastructure assets, but also generate employment, support local businesses and provide the water infrastructure required for future investment and growth across the Goldfields and Wheatbelt.

Source: Link & Link