Possible Benefits
The water was expected to provide irrigation for more than 1 million hectares of agricultural land in Queensland. The scheme would reduce the massive natural erosion problems in areas of Central Queensland.
The scheme had the ability to generate 370 MW of power and the potential to double that amount. Controlling and reducing the flow of northern rivers into the ocean may benefit the Great Barrier Reef as fresh water causes coral bleaching, and the excess nutrients in the rivers from coastal farming and development support algal growth that can harm the reef.
It is claimed that extra water and vegetation in the interior may then produce changes to the climate of Australia, however various studies have concluded that this is unlikely. This may increase the rainfall in areas of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Extra rainfall may drought-proof Eastern Queensland, and thereby improve river inflows to the Murray-Darling River system. It is claimed that a full Lake Eyre would moderate the air temperature in the region by the absorption of sunlight by the water instead of heat radiation from dry land into the air. No evidence to support the theory that an inland sea would increase rainfall has ever been produced, nor have any of the other claims been supported.
It would provide large areas suitable for the production of algae fuel, a type of biofuel. The catchment area of the Herbert River holds a population of about 18,000, 75% of whom dwell in the lower flood plain area. Diverting some water from this river would reduce the risk of flood.
Read more about this topic: Bradfield Scheme
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