A petition has been launched calling for Paradise Dam to be rebuilt to its original capacity and for all technical reports on its damaged wall to be released.
Bundaberg Region Mayor Jack Dempsey received unanimous support from Council to lodge the parliamentary petition.
At the Council meeting today, Mayor Dempsey recounted how Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham announced on 24 September the wall at Paradise Dam will be reduced by five metres for safety reasons.
“This came as a shock to irrigators, other water users and the broader Bundaberg Region community,” Mayor Dempsey said.
“Public safety is of paramount importance and professional engineering advice should be followed.
“The Government should release this advice to the public, so we fully understand the risk to our homes, the risk to our livelihoods and potentially the risk to our loved ones and ourselves.
“No explanation has been provided why the technical reports cannot be released.”
Mayor Dempsey said the community has a right to know how and why they’re at risk and what options there are to repair the damage.
He said his other major concern was water security.
“Paradise Dam was built to drought-proof the Bundaberg Region and to provide confidence in future investment,” he said.
“Water security is vital for the Bundaberg Region’s prosperity, growth, economic development and investment attraction.
“The Government should promise to rebuild the dam to its original capacity or greater.
“With a State Election to be held on 31 October 2020, I call on the Government and the Opposition to guarantee they will do whatever it takes to reinstate the water that’s been lost from Paradise Dam and to ensure long-term water security in the Bundaberg Region.”
Copies of the Paradise Dam petition will be available at Council offices, customer service centres and elsewhere in the community. Copies of the paper version can be obtained by calling 07 4130 4264.
Source: Bundaberg Now
- Sign the online petition at http://ax.lv/pdam.