The biggest tender for the $215 million Haughton Pipeline duplication project will open on Saturday, according to the Townsville City Council.

The tender will include 36km of pipe at 1.8m in diameter to link Ross River Dam with the Burdekin – securing Townsville’s long-term water supply.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said this was a pivotal moment for the pipeline project and council was committed to fast-tracking its construction.

“This pipeline will be built by the end of next year, and we are going to structure the contracts to ensure we create the most local jobs possible,” Cr Hill said.

Cr Hill said she was hopeful that the pipes could be built in Townsville, saying the tender would be designed to encourage companies to partner with local businesses for their supply.

The council last month announced it had appointed SMEC, GHD and Premise (formerly UDP) to undertake the engineering, final design and project management work on the project, which has been fully funded by the Queensland Government.