Approvals for the construction of a replacement dam must be fast tracked according to Shadow Minister for Water, Senator Perin Davey, following news of the abandonment of repair efforts for the trouble laden Paradise Dam in Queensland.
In a massive turnaround since June 2023 when money was still being spent on improvement works at the dam (footnote below), there is concern the change in course will lead to further delays impacting food production in the region.
It is now being reported a new dam wall will be constructed 70 metres downstream and the existing wall will be abandoned. The new dam will be at the same capacity and operating under the same conditions as the original dam design.
Constructed in 2006 with a capacity of 300,000ML, Paradise dam has been operating at almost half capacity since 2019 when structural and safety concerns were first identified.
Senator Davey said it has taken almost five years to decide to abandon the existing dam wall so approvals for the new dam wall must be fast tracked.
“Farmers made investment decisions based on having access to a secure and reliable water supply from a 300,000 dam and they have been in limbo since 2019, they cannot afford to wait for more approvals,” Senator Davey said.
“The Bundaberg agriculture industries are worth well over $1billion dollars and it’s the tomato capital of Australia. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, we cannot afford delays that will impact our food production.
“We also can’t see farmers paying more for access to water due to failures and delays caused by Government.
“Given the new dam wall will not dramatically increases the footprint, the water capture or storage capacity, assessment for the new project should be straight forward.
“Environmental approvals shouldn’t be very different from the existing dam so it is really just focusing on engineering approvals.
“Given the State Government says they have had international experts working on the Paradise Dam improvement project for some time, they should already have a very clear understanding of the new project.
“We cannot lose the productive capacity that can be achieved from Paradise due to red tape,” Senator Davey said.
ENDS