Agency ‘blocking’ engineer’s dam research

Queensland’s Sunwater is refusing to release technical reports into the defective Paradise Dam to engineers working for local farmers.

Paradise Dam. Picture: Max Fleet

Queensland’s Sunwater is refusing to release technical reports into the defective Paradise Dam to engineers working for local farmers, despite Premier Anna­stacia Palaszczuk telling parliament she had no problem with the request.

US-based dam engineers, ­engaged by the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers Co-­operative, have been seeking the nine documents for months to inform an independent report into the options for the future of the 300,000 megalitre dam.

The 15-year-old dam, built by the Beattie government, is ­riddled with design and structural problems, leading to the lowering of its water storage level­s and the spillway for repair work that may not be completed until 2026.

Water Minister Anthony Lynham has refused to commit the cash-strapped, debt-laden state Labor government to ­restoring the full capacity of the dam, despite pleas by the local council and agriculture groups in the region that is responsible for a quarter of Australia’s produce.

Last month, Ms Palaszczuk and Dr Lynham told parliament that Sunwater would “allow acces­s” to world-renowned enginee­r Paul Rizzo.

But grower’s co-operative managing director Bree Grima told The Australian the state-owned agency had since offered access to just some of the documents and only under strict conditions. “The government talks in parliament about transparency but then they won’t release all the reports that are critical for Dr Rizzo to do his independen­t report­,’’ she said.

“Sunwater offered Dr Rizzo conditional access to only some of the documents if he views them in person in their office and he is not allowed to take notes or make copies. These documents would be very detailed, (and) contain complex formulas that Dr Rizzo and his team would need time to analyse and access.

“We have engaged this engineer, one of the world’s leading expert­s in this sort of dam, to provide­ an independent opinion based on facts and which will be open to scrutiny.

“The government is trying to obstruct his work.’’

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

An inquiry, sitting in Bundaberg, was called to investigate the building of the dam after a series­ of revelations by The Australian, including that the critical “construction report” was among documents now missing.

It has since been revealed that only a “few records’’ exist after the 2005 opening of the $200m dam, built by a private consortium. Dr Lynham’s office did not respond­ to questions about his request for the documents.

Last month, Ms Palaszczuk was asked about Sunwater’s refusa­l to release the reports to Dr Rizzo, and passed the question­ to Dr Lynham. He told parliament­: “I can advise … that Sunwater will allow Dr Rizzo ­access to the requested documents to assist with his report.”