Recreation Facility Upgrade Project

Recreation Facility Upgrade Project

Sunwater has been allocated $24.5 million over five years by the Queensland Government to upgrade and maintain recreation facilities of Sunwater assets across the state.

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Project overview

In 2022, the Queensland Government announced Sunwater would receive $24.5 million over five years to upgrade and maintain recreation facilities at Sunwater assets across the state. Upgrade works are being undertaken at:

  • Beardmore Dam
  • Bjelke Petersen Dam
  • Burdekin Falls Dam
  • Eungella Dam 
  • Fairbairn Dam
  • Isis Balancing Storage (Lake Gregory)
  • Kinchant Dam
  • Julius Dam (Lake Julius)
  • Leslie Dam
  • Peter Faust Dam
  • Teemburra Dam
  • Tinaroo Falls Dam
  • Wuruma Dam

The scope of work at each site will vary but may include:

  • upgraded amenities
  • access and mobility improvements
  • landscaping and irrigation
  • upgraded roadways and parking
  • new day use/picnic facilities
  • new or upgraded playgrounds
  • comprehensive signage including the history of the asset or associated water supply scheme.

Project status

As different sites begin construction, Sunwater will keep the community informed about access restrictions and other construction impacts here and on:

Some locations will be minimally impacted, while others may be closed to the public for extended periods of time.

These upgrades will be managed by Sunwater and constructed under various contractual arrangements, including partnership with local Councils where possible.

Beardmore Dam

The picnic and recreation area upgrade is being managed by Balonne Shire Council, and Sunwater has been engaging with Council to fund part of the work. See the Beardmore Dam Master Plan for more information.

Beardmore Dam is located about 21 kilometres north of St George on the Balonne River.

Bjelke-Petersen Dam

Stage One of the upgrade works was completed in June 2025. Stage Two will begin in April 2026 and will involve upgrades to electrical assets and bollards, and additional lighting and accessible paths.

Bjelke-Petersen Dam is located about 10 kilometres southeast of Murgon.

Burdekin Falls Dam

A concept design is in progress.

Burdekin Falls Dam is located about 100 kilometres south of Charters Towers.

Eungella Dam

A concept design is being finalised with upgrade works planned for mid to late 2026.

Eungella Dam is located about 133 kilometres west of Mackay.

Fairbairn Dam

A detailed design for Geoffrey Kavanagh Park and the left and right bank lookouts is nearing completion. Works will include upgrades to:

  • access roads
  • parking areas
  • shelters and seating
  • toilet facilities.

Access to the lookouts will be restricted during construction.

Fairbairn Dam is located about 20 kilometres southwest of Emerald.

Isis Balancing Storage (Lake Gregory) – completed

A new access road was constructed and boat ramp maintenance completed in December 2024.

The Isis Balancing Storage is located halfway between Bundaberg and Childers in North Gregory.

Kinchant Dam

A detailed design is underway, with potential works including upgrades to:

  • access roads
  • parking
  • boat ramp car park
  • shelters and seating
  • toilet facilities
  • lighting.

Access to the boat ramp and lookouts may be restricted during construction.

Kinchant Dam is located about 30 kilometres west of Mackay.

Julius Dam (Lake Julius)

A concept design is in progress.

Julius Dam is located about 70 kilometres north-east of Mt Isa.

Leslie Dam – completed

Sunwater showcased the upgraded recreation area to members of the Warwick and surrounding communities at the Leslie Dam Open Day on Saturday 8 June 2024.

The upgrade included:

  • new toilet amenities
  • car park redesign and line marking
  • footpaths and shelter
  • barbecue facilities
  • safety bollards
  • new playground
  • landscaping and irrigation.

Leslie Dam is located about 12 kilometres west of Warwick.

Peter Faust Dam

A concept design is in progress.

Peter Faust Dam is located about 20 kilometres west of Proserpine.

Teemburra Dam

Works at Teemburra Dam were completed in November 2025. The works included:

  • new shelter and seating
  • access path to the shelter
  • car park upgrade and marking.

Teemburra Dam is located about 50 kilometres west of Mackay.

Tinaroo Falls Dam

Works to improve parking and access to the dam wall area are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Tinaroo Falls Dam is located about 100 kilometres inland from Cairns.

Wuruma Dam

Work to upgrade Wuruma Dam started in August 2025 with the campground, dam wall and lookout reopening to the public in January 2026.

The upgrades include:

  • new accessible toilets
  • new BBQ facilities
  • new picnic tables and shelters
  • concrete slabs for caravans
  • waste dump point
  • new access roads and road resurfacing
  • safety bollards
  • landscaping and irrigation

The next stage of work will begin in May 2026 and will involve new facilities and maintenance at the boat ramp.

Wuruma Dam is located about 47 kilometres northwest of Eidsvold.