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Three Moon Creek
Scheme
Announced Allocations
(Surface water)
(Underground water)
(Underground water)
Storages
Water Pricing
Scheme information
About
The Three Moon Creek Scheme draws its water from Cania Dam and provides irrigation and urban water supply to users in Monto and Mulgildie.
How the scheme works
- Cania Dam is an earth and rockfill dam, with releases made to recharge groundwater reserves which supply the majority of customers in the scheme.
Water uses
- Irrigation water for agriculture
- Urban water supply for the rural townships of Monto and Mulgildie.
Scheme Management
The Three Moon Creek Water Supply Scheme is managed under rules contained in the Three Moon Creek Interim Resource Operations Licence (IROL). The IROL was issued to Sunwater on 18 June 2021 by our portfolio shareholding department. Three Moon Creek is a groundwater recharge scheme. Releases are made from Cania Dam (in consultation with its Irrigator Advisory Committee) to fill small weirs downstream for recharging the groundwater aquifers. Most customers access their water through groundwater bores. Some customers may also access surface water when releases are made, or from weirs and waterholes when water is available.
Sunwater focuses our resources towards timely and cost-efficient delivery of water to customers in the Three Moon Creek 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.
Taking water from the scheme
The water ordering system assists Sunwater in delivering water to its customers in an efficient and timely way, enabling them to plan and manage their water use.
Before taking any water, customers should place a water order so that Sunwater can release sufficient water and minimise losses.
Customers who take water without ordering may reduce Sunwater’s ability to supply customers who have ordered according to the above requirements.
To place an order
Customers can place their orders via:
- Sunwater Online
- Sunwater Customer Support on 13 15 89
Further information about ordering water is detailed in Three Moon Creek’s Rules and Targets.
To view current water allocations for sale, click here.
Temporary transfer sale information
As a requirement of the Water Act 2000 (Qld), Sunwater is required to publish seasonal water assignment (temporary transfer) sale information for the Three Moon Creek Water Supply Scheme, referenced in its Resource Operation Licence (ROL). The temporary transfer information is listed here.
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 Three Moon Creek 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).
Three Moon Creek’s Irrigator Advisory Committee
The Three Moon Creek Irrigator Advisory Committee is a group of irrigators within the scheme that have been elected by irrigation customers to represent their interests in relation to scheme operations and water supply issues and improvements with Sunwater.
The committee:
- provides advice and recommendations to Sunwater regarding scheme operational issues
- represents the interests of the broader irrigator base in respect of Sunwater’s ongoing operation of the water supply scheme
- provides a mechanism for Sunwater and its customers to raise and discuss matters of mutual interest in relation to the management of the physical aspects of the scheme and customer relationship issues.
- work collaboratively with Sunwater to identify and introduce new approaches and improvements to water management.
Committee members
| Name | Position | Representative Area/Section |
| Ian Hill | Committee member | RA - below Abercorn Gauging Station to Hughes Street, Mulgildie. Includes Avis Weir. |
| Stephen Wittwer | Committee Member | RA - below Abercorn Gauging Station to Hughes Street, Mulgildie. Includes Avis Weir. |
| Lachlan Brown | Committee Member | RB - Hughes Street, Mulgildie to Burke Street and Rifle Range Road, Monto. Includes Bazely Weir. |
| Lindsay Penney | Committee Member | RB - Hughes Street, Mulgildie to Burke Street and Rifle Range Road, Monto. Includes Bazely Weir. |
| Russ Salisbury | Committee Member | RC - Burke Street and Rifle Range Road, Monto to Powers Road. Includes Monto Weir, Youlambie Diversion and supplemented section of Monal Creek. |
| Lesley Hotz | Committee Member | RC - Burke Street and Rifle Range Road, Monto to Powers Road. Includes Monto Weir, Youlambie Diversion and supplemented section of Monal Creek. |
| Christopher Abbott | Committee Member | RD - Powers Road to confluence of Cedar Creek and Three Moon Creek. Includes Youlambie Weir. |
| Kendall Muller | Committee Member | RD - Powers Road to confluence of Cedar Creek and Three Moon Creek. Includes Youlambie Weir. |
Stay up to date with the Three Moon Creek Irrigator Advisory Committee.
Announced Allocations
Water Year: 2024/2025
Surface water
Medium priority interim: 100%
Underground water
High priority interim: 100%
Medium priority interim: 100%
Announced Allocations effective 1 July 2024 and will be applicable until revised and communicated by Sunwater.
Customers are advised to obtain information about their remaining water allocation balance by accessing SunwaterOnline.
For more information or enquiries, phone 13 15 89 or email customersupport@sunwater.com.au.
History of Announced Allocations
Service and Performance Plans
Sunwater prepares an annual Service and Performance Plan (S&PP) for each irrigation service contract area. S&PPs replace the former annual Network Service Plans and annual Performance Reports.
We have updated the naming convention for S&PPs to improve clarity and alignment with plan content. The new convention references the year in which the S&PP is published (or should have been published). Publication should occur within six months of the end of a financial year.
For further information about this service, please visit the Service and Performance Plan page.
Scheme news
Scheme history
Three Moon Creek Water Supply Scheme
One of the newest towns in Queensland, Monto was built in 1924 inland from Bundaberg. It was the first community in the state to be created utilising a town plan after the Queensland Government acquired large landholdings in the area under the Land Development Scheme and split them into smaller blocks for soldiers returning from World War 1.
Monto was part of the push to open the state to agricultural development, and the water supply scheme soon followed. It was built to support agriculture — mainly dairy, piggeries, winter and summer cereal cropping and lucerne — and provide water for the residents of Monto and Mulgildie.
The major water storage is the Cania Dam, 37 km north-west of Monto, as well as six weirs — Avis Weir, Bazley Weir, Monto Weir, Mulgildie Weir, Youlambie Anabranch Weir and Youlambie Weir.