Deb Frecklington pledges funding for two new weirs during visit to Paradise Dam near Bundaberg
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington has promised that an LNP government would return the ailing Paradise Dam west of Bundaberg to full capacity.
QLD Votes
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Votes. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Deb Frecklington has pledged funding for two new weirs in rural Queensland and promised to return the ailing Paradise Dam to full capacity if she becomes premier.
The Opposition Leader travelled to Paradise Dam, west of Bundaberg, to make the announcement on Sunday morning, alongside Bundaberg MP David Batt, Callide MP Colin Boyce and Burnett MP Stephen Bennett.
She committed $25m to build the Cooranga Weir on the Boyne River and $20m to build the Barlil Weir on Barambah Creek in the Wide Bay region.
The 300,000 megalitre Paradise Dam was built by the Beattie Government in 2005 but was last emptied of most of its water over safety concerns after a defect was discovered in its wall.
Since then, the Palaszczuk government has started work to stabilise the structure, resulting in the wall height decreasing and the capacity of the dam dropping significantly.
Ms Frecklington said it was a disgrace that the government was releasing water while parts of the region which relied on it for agriculture were in drought.
She committed to stopping the current work on the wall and returning the dam to its original capacity, and committed $25m towards it.
“It’s with a bit of sadness that I’m standing here on the banks of Paradise Dam, but for Queenslanders, there is an opportunity to grow our economy, create jobs and save Paradise Dam,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The sight of these excavators and the wall coming down in the middle of a drought is beyond shocking and must stop.
“We’re going to restore the full water capacity for Paradise Dam and we’re going to built two new water storages in weirs just upstream.
“These two weirs will create 5000 jobs, not just in construction, but by growing our economy and providing jobs in the Wide Bay region that has been left behind by the Palaszczuk government.”
Wide Bay’s unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation, which Ms Frecklington attributed to the Palaszczuk government’s “anti-regions, anti-dams” policies.
She met with dozens of farmers and farm workers who rely on Paradise Dam to discuss the LNP’s plans to restore it to its original capacity.
Among them was Peter Watson, a contractor in the agriculture industry, who said he hoped for a better future for employment for his daughter Charlotte, 5.
“It’s terribly distressing to see the lost investment in the Bundaberg region because of the uncertainty for farmers,” he said.
“Cane farmers can’t afford the current high water costs, and that’s a key part of my business.
“She (Charlotte) was born after the last time we had decent rainfall into the dam, so it shows how important storage capacity is a major thing when we have droughts like this.”
Ms Frecklington said the 2000 megalitre Cooranga Weir would help provide water for farmers and create 900 jobs during construction.
The LNP leader has also pledged to reduce water costs for irrigators by giving “teeth” to a water price watchdog.
“Right now our retailers have a monopoly, so it is ensuring that the Queensland Competition Authority can be that watchdog and drive efficiencies through those monopoly retailers,” Ms Frecklington said.
Originally published as Deb Frecklington pledges funding for two new weirs during visit to Paradise Dam near Bundaberg