Gold Coast News
Outback Queensland town of Hughenden plans economic revival through water projects
The remote Queensland town of Hughenden plans to turn around its declining population and fortunes with irrigated crops, via two schemes to better utilise the region’s water.
Key points:
- Hughenden is hoping to drive growth through new irrigated crops
- $180 million from the Commonwealth has been pledged, if approvals for a Flinders River dam are granted
- The local council’s 15 Mile project will grow early season grapes for Australian consumers
Hughenden was founded by pastoralists, riding on the sheep’s back with a thriving wool industry, but drought, mechanisation and poor commodity prices have halved its population from 2,300 in 1961 to 1,100 today.
But proponents hope a planned $300 million Hughenden Irrigation Project (HIPCo) and the smaller…
