Dam threat continues at Talgai as residents return to their homes

Residents have returned to their homes despite the continued threat of a major wall collapse at a Darling Downs quarry dam.

RESIDENTS of Talgai, south of Toowoomba, were beginning to return to their homes on Sunday, as the threat of a major dam wall collapse continued.

A 3.5m hole in the wall of the privately owned Bolzan Quarry Dam continued to leak thousands of litres of water, as an emergency declaration that was made at 11.15pm on Friday was lifted about 6pm on Sunday.

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About seven residents had been evacuated, with the risk of the damaged 430Ml dam wall putting up to 250 homes at risk.

But residents told The Courier-Mail they had made the decision to return to their property.

“Our house is above any flood level, so we’ve decided to return to our animals,” one resident said.

“I called the council and they said we should be OK to come home but I’m still on high alert as the dams not far away.”

The dam level has dropped by about a quarter, according to Mayor Tracy Dobie.

“The gap in the dam wall has widened a little and the water is starting to dissipate down through Yankee Valley toward Dalrymple Creek,” Cr Dobie said.

“If the flow continues as it is now, that would be just standard low-level flooding through the valley and through Dalrymple Creek.

The Bolzan Quarry Dam wall leak.

“If the dam wall was to give way, then there would be considerable flooding through that valley and down into Dalrymple Creek.”

Experts surveyed the site again on Sunday morning.

Council, police and the dam owner are having ongoing discussion about the future of the dam, Cr Dobie said.

“We will need soon to hand over to him,” she said.

“This is a private dam on private property and once the immediate threat has passed, we will hand over to the dam owner to undertake further remediation work on that dam.” 

The dam is owned by Talgai businessman Joe Bolzan.

Mr Bolzan spotted the hole about 5pm on Friday and alerted authorities, according to his daughter Rebecca.

An evacuation centre remains at Warwick Christian College.

The dam had lost 15 to 20 per cent of its capacity by mid-morning on Saturday.