Steven Miles talks Paradise Dam failure, raising concerns for Bundaberg agriculture

The exact future of the long demanded rebuild of Paradise Dam remains unclear with the state’s Premier saying no-one remains to be held to account over its flawed construction, and few details on when it will be fixed.

Testing found the concrete used in the construction of Paradise Dam had "unprecedented" issues which impact on the long-term strength of the dam wall.

Premier Steven Miles has been unable to give a timeframe on when Bundaberg’s Paradise Dam will be rebuilt, and no compensation available, amid ongoing backlash over what has been called one of the state’s “biggest infrastructure fails”.

At a press conference in the region on Monday, Mr Miles addressed concerns about the dam and its future, confirming the government sought legal advice on compensation for the dam’s construction flaws but found no entities to hold accountable.

Mr Miles said the Wide Bay region should expect to have the new dam wall built over the existing wall before the current wall is removed.

“We’ve been advised that the lower dam level means the existing dam wall is safe for that period of time,” he said.

However, when asked about the exact time frame, he said he did not have that information.

Incumbent Bundaberg Labor candidate Tom Smith said a detailed business plan is expected to be released “in the first quarter of 2025”.

When asked if there were flaws in the dam’s original construction, he said “it shouldn’t have been built that way”.

But time had left them with no-one to seek recourse from.

“There are no entities continuing to be in existence who could be held to account for that negligence,” Mr Miles said.

“We looked at that very closely. I remember all of those meetings, and it’s a real shame.”

Despite Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ third budget in May outlining the deferral of $550 million out of $600 million in funds for the project “beyond 2027-28”, Mr Miles expressed confidence the federal government would contribute to the build on a 50-50 basis

The estimated total cost of the dam remains undetermined.

The federal government has said it did retained its funding commitment to the project in the budget, with $50 million initially allocated to support the development of a business case for the construction of the new dam wall, as well as essential pre-construction activities.

“This is a really important project, it’s important not just to Queensland but also to Australia,” Mr Miles said.

The revelation the Paradise Dam wall was beyond repair sparked accusations and apologies, but full accountability to the public has been elusive.

Qld premier Steven Miles. New Bundaberg Hospital stand-up. Photo: Lexa Smith

In January SunWater CEO Glenn Stockton said while announcing the new wall would be built 70m down stream he was “not in the position for apportioning blame” and preferred to look forward to delivering the dam to irrigators.

Considered Queensland’s food bowl and a major leader in the state’s horticulture industries, the Bundaberg region relies heavily on reliable water infrastructure to support its agricultural output.

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