Paradise Dam technical reports available to public

The technical reports that informed Sunwater’s decision to lower Paradise Dam’s wall have now been made available to the public on the Sunwater website.

The reports provide a comprehensive account of the dam’s stability issues and validate our decision 10 weeks ago to reduce the storage volume and lower the dam’s wall.

Sunwater’s priorities in relation to Paradise Dam safety are the protection of lives and livelihoods, with our primary concern being the safety of people who live downstream of the dam. Under normal and current forecast weather conditions, Paradise Dam is safe.

The reports identify the need to reduce pressure on the wall. The most effective way of achieving this is to reduce the height of the dam wall. This is why we are preparing to lower the wall.

While the dam wall reduction will go some way to reducing the risk of dam failure, at a minimum, major strengthening works will be required to ensure the dam’s long-term stability.

More assessment is needed to determine the best way to achieve this, which is why Building Queensland has been tasked with undertaking an accelerated assessment to inform the State Government on future options for the dam. This assessment is due to be completed by February 2020.

Community safety is our primary concern and we are working closely with local councils and the Local Disaster Management Group ahead of the coming wet season.

Sunwater is holding community drop-in information sessions in Bundaberg today from 2-5pm at Stockland and tomorrow from 8-10am at CBD Pavilion.