Staff rifts on safety and supervision

QUEENSLAND'S senior water managers warned of tension between staff and management over safety at Wivenhoe.

QUEENSLAND'S senior water managers warned of tension between staff and management over safety at Wivenhoe and Somerset dams and were given predictions that rainfall levels would fall because weather patterns had changed.

The statements were made three years ago in a paper presented to the nation's key dam safety body by water operations engineer Barton Maher and operations manager Rob Drury, who both work for South East Queensland Water -- the authority in charge of the dams.

The paper was uncovered after it was revealed Wivenhoe Dam last week came within centimetres of spilling water uncontrollably, in a scenario that resulted in the release of huge volumes of water to ensure the safety of the dam, contributing to flooding in Brisbane. It emerged last night that Wivenhoe workers told Brisbane Valley residents they feared for their lives during the massive releases on Tuesday, January 11.

Valley businessman Bill Rose, whose property adjoins the dams, said he had spoken to workers who had expressed fears as they worked on the release of water on Tuesday at a peak rate of 645,000 megalitres a day, slightly more water than is held in Sydney Harbour. Mr Rose said: "As they were opening the gates to let the flows out, all the metal started shuddering and vibrating, and they were shitting themselves."

The paper by Mr Maher and Mr Drury, titled Drought Flood Planning and Institutional Reform, was presented to the Australian National Committee on Large Dams and discussed what lessons had been learnt from operations over the past 10 years, as well as issues of flood operations, especially in light of the then water shortage for southeast Queensland.

The paper examined management of the dams' staff and noted tension over risk management and safety monitoring and open communications.

It said the tension was between the staff and the superintendent who was responsible for the budget, approval of project expenditure, monitoring of contractor performance, and collection and analysis of the dam safety and monitoring data.

"Dam safety monitoring and risk management relies on clear feedback from on-site staff, including changes to observed behaviour or performance," the paper said. "However, there is tension between the necessary open and honest communication for effective risk management and the role of the superintendent.

"The policing of performance can be an affront to on-site staff and there is a fine line to be walked to ensure that clear communication is maintained."

Mr Maher and Mr Drury noted that short-term weather forecasts indicated inflows for the dam were likely to be "below average".

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