Diamantina Shire has moved to Stand Up under disaster management arrangements as part of proactive flood preparations. We encourage all residents to read this update carefully and remain informed via Council’s Facebook page, website and Disaster Dashboard.
Published on 24 February 2026
Diamantina Shire Council would like to provide the community with a further update on the Birdsville Water Cooling Project. Ergon has now successfully completed the required electrical connections — an important milestone in bringing the new system online. During system testing last week, several issues were identified that require further investigation and resolution to ensure the system can consistently deliver the appropriate volumes of cooled water to the community. To ensure continued supply, the existing (‘old’) cooling system will remain operational while these matters are addressed and further testing is completed. We understand how important this project is for Birdsville, particularly in managing water temperatures sourced from the Great Artesian Basin. Council is committed to working as quickly as possible with all relevant contractors to resolve these issues and bring the new system fully online. Thank you to the Birdsville community for your continued patience and understanding.
We will provide another update as soon as further progress is made. Julianne Meier CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER