Queensland ALP demands feds pay as it offers $600m for Paradise Dam wall it tore down
The Palaszczuk government has committed half of the funding required to rebuild the dam wall it tore down in response to instability issues two years ago.
The Palaszczuk government has committed half of the funding needed to rebuild a dam wall it tore down in response to instability issues two years ago.
Committing $600m towards the $1.2bn rebuild of Paradise Dam, near Bundaberg, 360km north of Brisbane, Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday said the rest of the funding needed to come from the federal government.
It effectively set the dam’s rebuild as a federal election issue and heaped pressure of matching the funding on the Coalition and federal Labor, which is targeting the marginal Coalition-held seat of Flynn, in which the dam lies.
Paradise Dam’s carrying capacity of 300,000 megalitres was reduced by about 42 per cent in 2019 after structural problems were discovered in the 15-year-old wall, built by the Beattie Labor government. The funding announcement on Tuesday followed the Palaszczuk government’s announcement in December that it would rebuild the dam to its original height.
The money will be used to buttress the rebuilt wall and improve spillways into the Burnett River.
Ms Palaszczuk said she was committed to rebuilding the dam to its full capacity, with or without the federal government. “We’re working closely with the federal government to secure funding for this project,” she said. “But let me be clear – regardless of federal support, I am fully committed to rebuilding Paradise Dam.”
Ms Palaszczuk said construction would begin in 2023.
Liberal National Party sources said the funding commitment ahead of the federal election in the marginal electorate, held by retiring Nationals MP Ken O’Dowd, effectively wedged the Coalition to make a contribution.
Bundaberg-based federal Resources and Water Minister Keith Pitt called out the timing of the announcement but said the Morrison government was “ready to assist”. “It’s highly convenient that they’ve made a significant announcement in the middle of a Queensland Labor government integrity crisis,” Mr Pitt said. “They’ve spent 868 days before they’ve made a decision which resulted in them knocking down the dam wall and now only putting up half of the required money to repair it.
“We want to ensure that any funding that might be provided by us is not only used wisely, but that we don’t end up with the same result as last time under a Queensland Labor-led construction.”
The state opposition’s water spokeswoman, Deb Frecklington, said Ms Palaszczuk’s announcement was a “political stunt”.
“The Premier tore down the dam wall in 2020,” Ms Frecklington said. “Today Queenslanders are now being asked to pay for this government’s past mistake.”
Bundaberg Mayor Jack Dempsey, a former LNP state minister, said the rebuild was vital for the region and Australia’s food security.
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