Butcher, SunWater CEO unable to commit to new Paradise Dam timeline

A Bundaberg region farming advocate says she does not believe she will see the rebuilt dam in her lifetime, as 60,000 people living downstream have been assured they are safe despite the fact the dam was not up to “contemporary safety standards”.

Bundaberg region farming advocate Judy Plath said she believed she would not see the new Paradise Dam built in her lifetime.

The state government announced on January 11, 2024, that the rebuilding of the long-damaged Paradise Dam would cease, with works on an entirely new dam wall to begin instead.

The decision was prompted by research conducted by SunWater that due to the structural integrity of the concrete the dam wall was unable to be rebuilt to its original height.

At a Bundaberg press event on Thursday morning, Water Minister Glenn Butcher backed the decision and said the new dam wall would bring security for the people of the Bundaberg and Burnett region.

No firm timeline could be given on how long it would take to complete the new dam wall, which is expected to be built 70m downstream of the existing wall.

About 60,000 people living downstream of Paradise Dam have been warned it is not up to “contemporary safety standards” as the state government prepares new plans to build a completely new wall and spillway 70m downstream.

“We are not going to lose a minute, with Sunwater appointing its construction partner and early works at the site continuing full steam ahead to ensure the new dam wall can proceed as quickly as possible, once all approvals have been obtained,” Mr Butcher said.

Neither the Minister nor Sunwater CEO Glenn Stockton could provide any insight as to how much the new wall would cost, but guaranteed the $1.2billion promised to the original rebuild still stood.

Despite the promise, farming advocate Judy Plath said she believed she would not see the new dam built in her lifetime.

“I have very little confidence that a new dam will receive approval from the state or federal government,” she said.

Bundaberg farming advocate Judy Plath said she believed she would not see the new dam built in her lifetime.

She believes environmental push back will delay any works and that the man responsible for the original dam needs to be held accountable.

“Ironically, the bloke responsible for building Paradise Dam, the (former) CEO of Burnett Water Pty Ltd, Graeme Newton, is now the CEO of the Cross River Rail project,” she said.

“Apparently Mr Newton can’t oversee the building of a safe damn, but he can build a multi-billion dollar tunnel under the Brisbane River.”

During Thursday’s press event, neither the Minister nor the CEO spoke on who was to blame for the costly “world-first” mistake.

When questioned on why the decision had taken over a decade since the damage was first recorded Mr Stockton said the results of ongoing tests only revealed the structural failure in 2023.

Glenn Stockton, Sunwater CEO

Despite this, Mr Stockton confirmed the current safety of the lowered dam would not put the 60,000 residents living down river at risk, a point Mrs Plath backed.

“I have full confidence that Paradise at its lowered height is incredible safe,” she said.

Bundaberg Labor MP Tom Smith told the ABC the risk was significant.

Queensland Water Minister Glenn Butcher speaks during Question Time at Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“Sunwater have highlighted that there are 60,000 people downstream of Paradise Dam who would be potentially in life-threatening danger should a failure occur,” he said.

Mr Smith said the current government had “inherited” the dam from former Labor premier Peter Beattie.

“I think that Peter Beattie owes a personal apology to the people of Bundaberg and I would welcome that apology,” he said.

Federal LNP Hinkler MP and former federal water minister Keith Pitt told the ABC the dam was critical for investment in the region.

“It provides confidence for high value crops like tree crops, avocados, macadamias, horticulture,” he said.

“Without it, confidence will wane and investment will disappear and that is bad for our region and bad for growth.”