Queensland Water Minister Glenn Butcher announces expressions of interest for Paradise Dam project

Sunwater has revealed it aims to have contractors in place by mid-2023 as efforts to fix the dam are ramped up.

Expressions of interest have officially opened for the major construction contract of the Paradise Dam Improvement Project.

Queensland Water Minister Glenn Butcher said the investment in this project was significant.

“This contract will provide a major boost to good jobs and better services in the Bundaberg region, from the economic benefits delivered through the construction and from the enhanced long-term water security the rebuild will provide,” he said.

“This $1.2 billion Paradise Dam Improvement Project is expected to support about 250 jobs on site during construction while also providing water security for decades to come.

“The Palaszczuk Government has allocated $30.1 million for the project for the next 12 months, with the current focus on important planning, design and approval activities and vital pre-construction works to get the site ready for major construction.

“The decision to return the dam to its original height, as part of significant safety improvement works, is an excellent outcome for local irrigators and the community.”

Sunwater is delivering the project and will form an alliance with designers and major construction firms to deliver the project’s main works, as well as any temporary and ancillary works required.

Paradise Dam.

“Applications are open until 31 October (TBC) and I am sure there will be considerable interest from companies both locally and internationally,’’ Mr Butcher said

“This will be a complex and demanding undertaking, so it is critically important that we have partners we can trust to work collaboratively to get this project done right. We look forward to receiving world-class submissions on this vital project.”

Sunwater aims to have construction partners confirmed by mid-2023.

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith said the project would provide opportunities for local small and medium-sized businesses.

“Local workers will play a critical role in the project, which will be one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in the history of the region,” he said.

“We already have local businesses registering their interest in providing goods and services to the project, after a dedicated mailing list was launched last week.

“This follows the recent appointment of Harrison Infrastructure Group to lead an extensive investigation of the road network leading to the dam to ensure approximately one million tonnes of aggregate can be transported safely.

Sunwater CEO Glenn Stockton said significant headway was being made on a range of project activities ahead of major construction works.

“We continue to progress the necessary design, geotechnical and environmental work required to ensure project success,” he said.

“A lot of work is needed to manage such a challenging project on a dam that is operational and situated in a dynamic river system.”

The Paradise Dam Improvement project is jointly funded by the Australian Government through the National Water Grid Fund ($600 million) and the Queensland Government