In addition to the exploration and drilling for groundwater, the Gascoyne Food Bowl
Initiative (GFB) includes scope to install grid power and pipe infrastructure to enable supply of water.
Food bowl funds were made available to install bores, a power line and pipe suitable to supply an additional 400 hectares of horticultural land. The cost of equipping and operating the borefield is the responsibility of the water service provider, currently the
Gascoyne Water Cooperative (GWC) and Gascoyne Water Asset Mutual Cooperative
(GWAMCO).
The first major milestone of the Food bowl project occurred in November 2014 with the completion of the 11.5km Stage 1 section of the power line. This 22,000 Volt (high voltage) line was built by Horizon Power from McGlades Road to the end of the current GWC borefield. The line provides the opportunity for growers and GWC to reduce the cost of pumping water and increase operating efficiency of the borefield.
The Stage 2 power line extends from the 11.5km point to approximately 25km at the proposed end of the production bore and pipeline program. Power supplied by Horizon Power is sourced from the 18 MW Mungullah Power Station. In the longer term, Horizon is also considering solar fields to provide power to the GFB borefield and similar projects.
Planning for the Stage 2 power line design is underway and construction is anticipated to commence in August 2015.

Running along the same infrastructure corridor as the power line, the Foodbowl project is planning the installation of a collector main to take water from the borefield expansion area to connect into the existing irrigation supply system.
Planning for the pipeline started prior to initiation of the replacement of the out-dated asbestos/cement pipe during the Gascoyne Irrigation Pipeline Project (GIPP). Reports identified that High Density Polyethylene pipe (HDPE) connected into the new GIPP 900mm supply main at McGlades Road would provide optimum pressure and serviceability.
The preliminary design for the proposed Foodbowl pipe was based on a borefield of approximately 33km (McGlades to near Rocky Pool), an average supply of 10L/second per bore and a peak flow of 20L/sec per kilometre of river frontage.
After the release of the Lower Gascoyne Water Allocation Plan (October 2011), the GFB planning was revised on the basis of the expectation of a 3.6GL/year licence for GWC managed Stage1 area, and a provisional allocation of 3.3GL/year (with an option for 4GL/year subject to evaluation) for the GFB Stage 2.
In addition to GFB planning, the Carnarvon Ministerial Advisory Committee commissioned a review of irrigation infrastructure to address issues related to the pressure in the irrigation area, southern borefield design, and integration with the GFB northern borefield. The results of the review by consultants GHD, and supplementary modelling requested by Department of
Agriculture and Food WA, identified several outcomes for the GFB. In particular;

Retaining the GWC Stage 1 pipeline parallel to the GFB pipeline (water security, peak flow capacity, costs) to have a peak flow of 183L/sec

Designing peak flows up to 400L/sec for the Stage 2 area

Optimising Stage 1 and 2 peak flows to include capacity in the pipeline design for a future Stage 3 (24-33km)
Functional design planning for the GFB pipeline is nearing completion with final design, drawings and specification work now underway. In parallel, the GFB has commenced the tender process for the acquisition of pipe and will soon go to the market with tenders for installation and commissioning.
It is anticipated the collector main pipe will be completed by June 2016.
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Figure – Power and pipelines
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