Maranoa River
Scheme

Scheme information
About
The Maranoa River Scheme is centred in the town of Mitchell, with Neil Turner Weir its major supply infrastructure.
How the scheme works
- The scheme supplements surface water along the Maranoa River from Neil Turner Weir over a combined 9.7km stretch to the end of its ponded area
- Neil Turner Weir is a sand-filled concrete-faced cascading structure made up of rock-filled precast units.
Water uses
- Irrigation purposes (minimal)
- Urban water supply for the town of Mitchell.
Scheme Management
Sunwater must comply with the conditions set out in the Maranoa River Water Supply Scheme Resource Operations Licence (ROL), issued to Sunwater in December 2008 by our portfolio shareholding department. The ROL outlines the infrastructure details, environmental release rules and all Sunwater’s monitoring and reporting obligations. The ROL also requires Sunwater to operate in accordance with an operations manual that is approved by our portfolio shareholding department. The operations manual outlines rules for the operation of infrastructure associated with the Maranoa River scheme as well as water sharing rules and seasonal water assignment (temporary trade) rules.
The Maranoa River Water Supply Scheme ROL Operations Manual was issued in February 2019.
Sunwater focuses our resources towards timely and cost-efficient delivery of water to customers in the Maranoa River Scheme. We collaborate with our customers to ensure we understand their needs, adapt quickly to changes in the environment and make the most of the available water supply.
Stopping or restricting supply
Sunwater may suspend or restrict supply in a number of circumstances, including:
- during maintenance of Sunwater’s assets
- during a peak demand period, when rosters or rations may apply
- when the demand for water is so small it is impractical to supply it
- when there is a need to make special releases to maximise efficiency at times of limited supply
- during rain shutdown
- infrastructure limitations which make delivery impractical
- if supply could cause Sunwater to break the law
- when operating under special notices or regulations issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines {e.g. Water Amendment Regulation (No. 3) 2006}.
Weather events and emergency shutdowns
Sunwater asks that customers notify their duty Water Officer as soon as possible of any rain event or other circumstances that substantially lessens their water requirements. When widespread general rain exceeds 40 mm in a day over the Maranoa River Water Supply Scheme, the duty Water Officer may shut the system down.
Customers are also asked to cancel orders if they no longer require ordered water.
For more information contact
If you experience an equipment or power failure emergency, please give immediate notice to Sunwater by calling Sunwater Customer Support on 13 15 89 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Scheme history

Maranoa River Water Supply Scheme
The scheme was constructed to supply water to the pioneering town of Mitchell on the banks of the Maranoa River, 590 km north-west of Brisbane.
Mitchell was named after Sir Thomas Mitchell who camped on and named the Maranoa River on 3 June 1846 during an expedition to find an overland route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Central to the scheme is the Neil Turner Weir, named after the prominent local political identity and former speaker of the Queensland parliament. It was built in 1984 and was designed to supply town water and irrigation.
The weir is an important recreational facility for the Mitchell community.