Paradise Dam restoration funding in question once again

As concerns growth that funding for Paradise Dam’s restoration could be cut in the next federal budget, Tom Smith has told local members to ‘pull your heads in’.

The Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt has joined forces with State Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett in a desperate plea for the federal government to lock in $600m for Paradise Dam’s restoration.

As media reports continue to circulate that promised funding for the Paradise Dam restoration may not come through, Mr Pitt and Mr Bennett have expressed their concerns.

Mr Bennett said the federal government needed to confirm the promised figures as rising living costs put more pressures on farmers and producers.

“Please don’t forget farmers are relying on their investment decisions about the reinstatement of Paradise Dam, which was the biggest infrastructure failure we’ve seen in Australian history,” he said.

“How many times can our farmers get kicked in the guts over this? It’s not just farmers, everyone in Bundaberg will be affected by this decision.”

Mr Pitt said the lack of clarity and confirmation over the funding showed the inattention the federal government had for regional Queensland.

“Clearly the Labor Government doesn’t care about regional Australia, they don’t care about keeping their word and they don’t care about telling the truth,” he said.

“Federal Labor committed to restore Paradise Dam in March and they simply can’t walk away from it. We will fight them every step of the way. The people of this region deserve better than what Federal Labor is doing to them.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state government would commit $600m towards rebuilding the dam. Picture: Paul Beutel

Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith fired back at the claims.

“This is just nasty political opposition politics by politicians that are out of their depth and looking for something to say,” he said.

Mr Smith said with early works already under way at the site, and tenders awarded for the restoration it was clear the funding was coming through as promised.

“In terms of what the budget looks like coming forward, we know that we have our money on the ground,” he said.

“The work will start, the work will be finished and it’s a labor government that is standing up for growers while Keith Pitt fear mongers and tries to hurt the industry.”

As the next stage of construction on the dam’s apron begin, Mr Smith this was evidence of the federal and state commitment to the dam’s restoration.

“I simply don’t accept the lies being spread by Keith Pitt and Stephen Bennett,” he said.