Kimberley–Perth Canal facts for kids

The Kimberley–Perth Canal was a big idea to move water from the Fitzroy River in the northern Kimberley area of Western Australia. This water would travel all the way to the capital city of Perth in the southwest. The proposed canal would have been about 3,700 kilometres (2,300 miles) long, crossing through the Pilbara region. The main goal was to help solve Perth's water supply issues.

History of the Canal Idea

The idea of moving water from the Kimberley to Perth isn't new.

Early Proposals

In the late 1980s, a government minister named Ernie Bridge first suggested building a large water pipeline from the Kimberley region.

Tenix and Colin Barnett's Support

Years later, in 2005, a company called Tenix brought up the idea again. They proposed a huge canal, about 7 metres (23 feet) wide, which they estimated would cost around $2 billion.

This canal proposal became part of Colin Barnett's political campaign in 2005 when he was trying to become the leader of Western Australia. He didn't win that election. Later, when he was campaigning for the 2008 election, he said he wouldn't pursue the canal idea.

However, in 2012, after Perth had its driest July ever, Colin Barnett, who was then the Premier (the leader of the state government), talked about the canal again. He said that "from a technical or engineering point of view, it's not difficult to do."

Where the Water Would Come From

The main source of water for the proposed canal was the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley.

Fitzroy River's Power

The Fitzroy River gets a lot of rain during the wet season in the tropics. It's known for its huge flow, delivering about 9,200 gigalitres (that's 9.2 trillion litres!) of water each year on average. During big floods, it's considered one of the largest rivers in Australia, sometimes releasing up to 30,000 cubic metres (about 7.9 million gallons) of water per second into King Sound and the Indian Ocean.

Protecting the River

To avoid harming the river, its environment, and the fish, the plan was to only take extra floodwater during the wet season. This water would be pumped from the river about 60 kilometres (37 miles) inland from the coast. This way, it wouldn't disturb the sensitive flood plains near the river.

The water would then be stored underground in a natural "underground lake" called the La Grange Aquifer. This aquifer is about 280 kilometres (174 miles) long. Storing water here would help manage the supply, especially during the wet season.

Environmental Concerns

Many environmental groups were worried about the canal proposal.

Protecting Kimberley's Nature

Generally, these groups believe that the water in the Kimberley region should not be used for such large projects at all. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a well-known environmental group, pointed to a 1993 government report. This report suggested that the underground water sources (aquifers) in the Fitzroy River area didn't hold much more than 200 gigalitres of water. The report also warned that building a pipeline or canal would cause serious damage to the environment.

How Much it Might Cost

Different people and groups had different ideas about how much the canal or pipeline would cost.

Canal Cost Estimates

• The former State Government estimated the canal would cost about $14.5 billion.
• Colin Barnett's estimate was much lower, around $2 billion.

Pipeline Cost Estimates

• Ernie Bridge estimated a pipeline would cost about $3 billion.