General News
18 November, 2025
Thanks for saving water: Council CEO
CAIRNS residents have been praised for cutting their water use but the regional council says the conservation campaign is far from over.
The council says the lower water use had been helpful during recent hot weather, including weekends when usage is typically higher than week days.
Despite higher-than-average temperatures, water usage remained at sustainable levels of around 82ML per day.
Council chief executive officer Ken Gouldthorp said the community’s response showed how collective effort could ease pressure on the system.
“We want to say a big thank you to everyone who has been mindful of their water use,” he said.
“Your efforts are helping us manage demand at a time when every drop counts.
“Please keep it up – small actions by all of us are making a big difference.
“The heat is here and it’s not going away anytime soon.
“We need to keep usage as low as possible to ensure our reservoirs can meet demand while we work through ongoing challenges in the network.
“Despite the sustainable levels of water use over the weekend, we did see usage peak at 87ML on one day last week which is concerning.
“With hotter weather set to continue we’re asking everyone to keep it closer to our target of below 75ML per day.”
Council is leading by example by switching off irrigation in many public areas to further reduce consumption, with approximately 70% of the irrigation network now shut down.
“Residents may notice some areas of our city start to brown off, such as garden beds, small parks and centre islands along roads – especially if we don’t have much rain over coming weeks,” Mr Gouldthorp said.
“Council is doing our bit and we’re asking the community to do the same. Every resident and every business can play a part in helping to ease the pressure on our water network,” he said.
Mr Gouldthorp reminded residents that permanent water conservation measures remained in place, including designated sprinkler days for odd and even-numbered properties.
Residents can track weekly water use trends and find answers to common questions on council’s Cairns Water Supply update page www.bit.ly/4qIJ0yH
