Paradise Dam volume to be cut by 80,000 megalitres, leaving farmers fuming

Queensland growers battling drought conditions are seething at plans to reduce a major dam's spillway height, forcing the release of 80,000 megalitres and significantly reducing its capacity.

THE storage of Paradise Dam will be reduced ahead of the wet season, generating up to 80,000Ml of water for irrigators and others battling the drought, but it's left others scratching their heads.

 

The NewsMail can exclusively reveal that Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham will today announce the dam's spillway will be lowered 5m, permanently reducing the dam's capacity, for safety reasons.

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But as cane farmers meet tonight to discuss the dam and be briefed on information about the works, Bundaberg Canegrowers chairman Allan Dingle said the announcement was another blow after the reef regulations were passed just last week.

"We're in the middle of a serious drought and they're going to release 80,000 mega litres of water," he said.

Paradise Dam, on the Burnett River north-west of Biggenden, opened in 2006 and was touted as securing the region's future, has full capacity of 300,000Ml.

Of its current volume of 215,000Ml, about 20 per cent is used by irrigators, miners and Bundaberg for drinking water.

"The assessment came back for Paradise Dam saying we need to do work on the spillway," Dr Lynham said.

"Our dams are a priority they are not a set and forget thing."

Work to lower the spillway will start after the wet season.

In the meantime, Building Queensland will assess and report by February on options to ensure water security for future economic growth."

The works to lower the dam are expected to cost between $50 million and $100 million.

Sunwater will call tenders later this year for construction works, which are expected to create about 80 jobs and take until the end of 2021 to complete.

The dam was damaged during the 2011 and 2013 floods.

Sunwater chairman Leith Boully said the free water would help significantly with the production of crops around the region.

"They're not only getting free water, but they'll actually produce quite a bit more," she said.

Dr Lynham said the work on the dam would not interfere with water supply to irrigators.

"The decision to release water has not been made lightly with the ongoing drought and water supply issues in other Queensland communities," he said.

"The water that's being released will be free, including for trucking to other areas.

"If there is a big downfall of rain, we will continue to give that water away so the level stays at that level," he said.

A series of community sessions about the spillway project and water giveaway will be held across Bundaberg, starting tomorrow.

Visit www.sunwater.com.au or phone [phone] for more information.

Visit www.sunwater.com.au or call [phone] for more information.

•Attend drop-in sessions at:

Session 1 8.30am - 11.30am Wednesday 25 September North Progress Hall 18 Queen St, Bundaberg North

Session 2 5pm - 8pm Thursday 26 September Bundaberg School of Arts 184 Bourbong Street Bundaberg Central

Session 3 9am - 12pm Saturday 28 September Bundaberg School of Arts 184 Bourbong Street Bundaberg Central

Originally published as Paradise Dam volume to be cut by 80,000 megalitres, leaving farmers fuming