Pull to refresh
Logo
Daily Brief
Following Why Sign Up
Western Australia breaks ground on Goldfields water pipeline upgrade

Western Australia breaks ground on Goldfields water pipeline upgrade

Built World

$543 million project to boost capacity of the 1903-built Perth–Kalgoorlie line by 10%

2 days ago: Groundbreaking on Goldfields pipeline upgrade

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

For more than 120 years, one 566-kilometre pipeline has carried Perth's water to the mining towns around Kalgoorlie. On October 6, Western Australia broke ground on a $543 million upgrade of that line, the biggest investment in the scheme since it opened in 1903.

The work replaces 44.5 kilometres of ageing pipe, doubles the Binduli Reservoir near Kalgoorlie, and adds 7.2 million litres of daily capacity, a 10% increase. It locks in water for more than 100,000 people in the Goldfields and Wheatbelt, where mining demand has climbed 16% since 2021.

Why it matters

Mining demand pushed the 123-year-old line near capacity; the extra 7.2 million litres a day keeps Goldfields towns and industry growing.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

$543M
Total project investment
WA government funding for the Goldfields and Agricultural Water Supply Scheme upgrade.
44.5 km
Pipeline length replaced
Ageing sections replaced through the Wheatbelt shires of Merredin, Westonia and Yilgarn.
7.2 million litres/day
Added daily capacity
The scheme's throughput rises by about 10% once Stage 1 finishes in late 2027.
10%
Capacity increase
Extra volume supports a 16% jump in Goldfields water demand since 2021.
100,000+
Residents served
People across the Goldfields and Wheatbelt rely on the scheme for drinking and industry water.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

Sign up to generate historical perspectives on this story.

Log in Sign Up

People Involved

Roger Cook
Roger Cook
Premier of Western Australia
Premier since 2023; championing the pipeline upgrade
 Daniel Pastorelli
Daniel Pastorelli
Western Australia Minister for Water
Oversees Water Corporation delivery of the project
 C.Y. O'Connor
C.Y. O'Connor
Chief engineer, designer of the original Goldfields Pipeline
Died in 1902 before the pipeline opened

Organizations Involved

WC
Water Corporation
State-owned utility
Delivers the pipeline upgrade program

Western Australia's government-owned water utility, building the GAWSS upgrade.
GG
Georgiou Group
Construction contractor
Awarded pipeline replacement contract

Western Australian construction firm leading one of the two pipeline replacement contracts.
GD
SRG Global / McConnell Dowell JV
Construction joint venture
Awarded pipeline replacement contract

Joint venture between SRG Global and McConnell Dowell for the second pipeline contract.

Timeline

January 2021 October 2026

6 events Latest: 2 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Groundbreaking on Goldfields pipeline upgrade

    Latest Infrastructure

    WA breaks ground on the $543 million upgrade at Kalgoorlie's Mount Charlotte Reservoir.

  2. Premier concedes Esperance desalination plant needed

    Policy

    Roger Cook says a south-coast desalination plant 'at some point' is likely, a reversal on his earlier position.

  3. Contracts worth $170 million awarded

    Contract

    Georgiou Group and SRG Global McConnell Dowell JV win the two pipeline replacement contracts.

  4. Budget locks in $543 million for pipeline

    Funding

    WA allocates $543 million to raise daily pipeline capacity by 7.2 million litres.

  5. Federal approval to replace pipeline sections

    Regulatory

    Water Corporation gains EPBC Act approval to gradually replace above-ground heritage pipeline.

  6. Planning begins for capacity upgrades

    Planning

    Water Corporation starts studying staged upgrades to meet rising Goldfields demand.

Scenarios

1

Goldfields pipeline upgrade delivers on schedule

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: WA government, Water Corporation

Stage 1 finishes by late 2027, lifting daily capacity by 7.2 million litres. Construction is under way from June 2026, with the Binduli Reservoir duplication to follow. Water Corporation announces completion and the new capacity comes online.

2

WA commits to Esperance desalination plant

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: ABC News, Premier Roger Cook

Cook reverses his earlier rejection of the Nationals' proposal, saying Esperance will need a desalination plant 'at some point.' A final investment decision or construction contract would confirm the commitment as part of long-term Goldfields water security.

3

Pipeline upgrade slips past late 2027

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Water Corporation project updates

Delays in pipe manufacture at Kwinana, weather, or heritage-protection constraints push final completion beyond the end of 2027. The extra 7.2 million litres a day arrives later than planned.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1896 – 1903

Original Goldfields Water Supply Scheme (1896–1903)

Engineer C.Y. O'Connor designed and built a 566-kilometre pipeline from Perth's Mundaring Weir to Kalgoorlie, one of the longest water supply lines in the world at the time. Water first flowed in January 1903. O'Connor died by suicide in 1902 while facing fierce public criticism, months before the scheme proved successful.

Then

The pipeline ended chronic water shortages in the goldfields and made the deep-shaft mining boom viable.

Now

The line still supplies the region, was added to the National Heritage List in 2011, and is now being upgraded for a new era.

Why this matters now

The current $543 million project is the largest investment in O'Connor's scheme since it opened, tackling the same challenge he faced: getting enough water to a growing mining economy.

1949 – 1974

Snowy Mountains Scheme (1949–1974)

Australia's largest engineering project diverted mountain rivers through hydro-electric stations and irrigation tunnels in New South Wales. It took more than 100,000 workers and 25 years to complete, and remains a keystone of national water and energy supply.

Then

It secured water and power for southeastern Australia and is credited with a major postwar population surge.

Now

Federal and state governments have spent billions over the past decade on Snowy 2.0 to expand the ageing scheme's capacity for modern demand.

Why this matters now

Like Snowy 2.0, the Goldfields upgrade shows governments retrofitting a century-old water system to keep pace with 21st-century resource-industry growth.

Sources

(8)
+2
World Construction Network Water Corporation ABC News Western Australian Government WAtoday The Cooldown ABC News Water Corporation