[2] In response to this worsening situation a range of water infrastructure projects were proposed to bolster supplies in south east Queensland.
The Gold Coast City Council initially developed a plan for a 55 ML/day desalination plant during 2005.,[3] which was anticipated to cost around $260 million.
Due to worsening drought conditions, in 2006 the Queensland Government joined with the Gold Coast to expand the plan to a 133 ML/day plant that could share output with the entire region.
[4] Investigations by the Gold Coast Desalination Alliance identified 13 possible sites of which three, Pimpama, Coombabah and Bilinga, were short-listed.
[6] In June 2009 some further faults were identified, all bar one of which were rectified with the final piece of work to be completed by the end of August 2010.
These defects did not affect the plant's ability to produce clean safe water but had implications for its long term viability.
Community groups such as the Queensland Conservation Council and GECKO have expressed concern over environmental issues with the project.
[3] To offset the carbon emissions associated with this electricity consumption, the plant operators purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs).
On 5 December 2010, then Natural Resources Minister, Stephen Robertson confirmed the plant would go into standby mode that month as a cost-saving measure.