Defective dam can be repaired ‘for less than $25m’

Queensland’s defective Paradise Dam could be repaired and returned to its full storage capacity for $25m, an expert says.

Farmers and workers rally for Paradise Dam outside the Bundaberg Courthouse on March 3. Picture: News Regional Media

Queensland’s faulty Paradise Dam could be repaired and returned to its full storage capacity for a fraction of the $700m cost being considered by the Palas­zczuk government, the commission of inquiry into the dam’s construction has been told.

Geotechnical expert Paul Rizzo said although the dam was in a “distressed state”, concerns about a catastrophic failure risking lives downstream were alarmist. In a submission to the inquiry, he said the flood-damaged dam could be stabilised using special anchors at a cost of about $US15.75m, or less than $25m.

This is in contrast to government estimates of up to $700m to repair the dam and restore it to its full 300,000 megalitre capacity.

Dr Rizzo, commissioned by a local industry group to assess the safety of the dam, said its defects could be fixed without being “dramatically disruptive”.

“Paradise Dam is in a distressed state, but is highly unlikely to experience a catastrophic failure resulting in the loss of life,” he wrote in his submission.

“The distressed state can be remediated at a reasonable cost as accomplished at other dams around the world, without negative consequences or extreme ­actions. We are of the opinion that an alarmist atmosphere has evolved over the safety of Paradise Dam without adequate basis.”

The 15-year-old dam, 80km from Bundaberg, was built by a private-public consortium under the Beattie government.

Damage from the 2013 floods exposed design and structural problems, leading to the lowering of its water storage level and the spillway for repair work that may not be completed until 2026.

Sunwater and the Palaszczuk government have been widely criticised over their lack of transparency over problems with the dam after initially failing last year to release technical and safety ­assessments that led to their decision to almost halve the existing water storage.

The government appointed a commission of inquiry to examine the dam’s construction but also rushed through regulations allowing the spillway to be lowered for what it said were public safety reasons. The decision enraged local fruit and vegetable growers as the dam is crucial to the region’s continued growth as one of Aus­tralia’s most productive for agriculture. It is Australia’s largest grower of macadamias, sweet ­potatoes and passionfruit and second-largest grower of avocadoes.

Growers fear the government wants to permanently lower the spillway, reducing its capacity, or decommission the dam altogether. Water Resources Minister ­Anthony Lynham said last month water remaining in the dam would be allocated to growers to give them certainty heading into cropping season.

The inquiry, led by retired Supreme Court judge John Byrne, is due to report back to the government by April 30.