The Hon. David Littleproud, Leader of The Nationals and Member for Maranoa, Media Release, 2 March 2026

Leader of The Nationals and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud has raised serious concerns about a proposed water extraction operation in the Elbow Valley region.

Mr Littleproud said the Chinese-owned developers’ proposal to extract up to 96 million litres of water annually, in an area susceptible to drought, to bottle and potentially export overseas doesn’t make sense.

“Exporting water overseas from an Australian location where the water is required by farmers, animals, townships and the environment, particularly during drought, is wrong,” Mr Littleproud said.

“Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has the power to stop any of this water going overseas.

“That’s why I am calling on Minister Collins to use those powers, under the Export Control Act 2020 (Cth), to send a strong message to the developer that this type of development is not acceptable.

“Although the state and local governments have responsibility for the licence and approvals, the Commonwealth Government can act.

“This region experiences prolonged, severe shortages of rainfall, leading to periods of significant water scarcity within the agricultural community, so it is crucial the Minister uses these powers.

“The water allocation must be sustainable and equitable for all of the Elbow Valley community, and water from this region should certainly not be exported overseas.”