Sunwater welcomes review into North Queensland dam operations

Ross River Dam

Sunwater has welcomed the Queensland Government’s appointment of the Inspector General Emergency Management to undertake an independent assessment into the preparedness and response to the monsoonal rainfall and flooding events in north Queensland.

Sunwater CEO Nicole Hollows said Sunwater is committed to operating the Ross River Dam as safely as possible and will fully participate in all aspects of the independent assessment.

“As the operator of Ross River Dam, our role and focus throughout this event has been to ensure the dam is managed safely and in line with the direction of our customer and dam owner Townsville City Council,” Ms Hollows said.

“We too are a part of the Townsville community, with a number of our staff and contractors living locally. Our thoughts go out to everyone who is affected by this event and urge people to stay safe during the recovery phase.

“We are confident we have met all our obligations and we look forward to contributing to the inquiry and reviewing the findings and recommendations of the independent assessment.

“We must all work together to understand and plan for the flood risks in weather events, including local Councils, disaster management groups, Sunwater and residents, who each have a role during these events and in any proposed long-term decision.

“As with any event of this nature, there are always lessons that can be learned and ways we can strive to improve systems, processes or communication, which will ultimately help us continue to meet the needs of customers and the wider community.

“We will continue to ensure that Townsville City Council is fully supported by our trained and highly experienced operators and that the Ross River Dam is operated safely.

Sunwater supports the dam owner Townsville City Council by operating the Ross River Dam in accordance with a contract, including operational procedures and the Emergency Action Plan.

Media Enquiries:

Sunwater Media Team 
Phone: +61 7 3120 0047 
Email: media@sunwater.com.au