The severe drought at the beginning of the twenty-first century across southeast Queensland (SEQ), Australia has not been witnessed for more than a century. It prompted Brisbane, a metropolis of 2M people, in its desperate quest for additional water supply. After meticulous investigation of all possible options at the state government's initiative, the Department of Natural Resources and Water came to the conclusion in 2006 that a dam on the Mary River near Traveston would be the best option with a desalination plant being a distant second. The dominating factors in the selection of the Traveston Crossing dam (TCD), as it became known, were: (1) It would provide the highest yield of any surface water option available in SEQ. (2) Development can be staged to increase yield in future. (3) The geographic location is appropriate to service Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. (4) The river has the highest discharge in the region with lowest storage and use. (5) The catchment has the highest and most reliable rainfall in SEQ (6) It would provide flood mitigation downstream including the town of Gympie.
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