Is Bruce's Paradise a Pipe Dream?

JAY FIELDING

MARYBOROUGH MP Bruce Saunders is finding it tough to get support for his idea to build a pipeline from Paradise Dam to secure the Fraser Coast’s water security.

Even from his government’s own water minister.

Following the Federal Government’s announcement that it would match $600m in funding from the State

Government to rebuild the dam, Mr Saunders renewed his calls for a pipeline which he first floated in 2017.

The spillway at Paradise Dam was lowered in 2020, reducing its 300,000-megalitre capacity by about half, after an investigation found the dam’s wall did not meet safety standards and could fail during an extreme weather event.

This month, the State Government announced it would rebuild the dam to its original height and guaranteed its half of the funding required.

Mr Saunders said he understood his idea might not be popular in Bundaberg.

“But it’s not Bundaberg water, it’s Queensland water,” he said.

“It belongs to everyone.

He said more water was needed on the Fraser Coast given its strong population growth and his proposal had merit.

“It has to be looked at. We’re going to be in dire need in the future if we don’t do it now.”

But Water Minister Glenn Butcher said the government was not considering a pipeline from Paradise, on the Burnett River near Biggenden, to Lenthalls Dam on the Fraser Coast.

“The Fraser Coast Regional Council is currently doing some work to look at water security and its ability to meet the future water needs for its growing population,” Mr Butcher said.

“We are in contact with the FCRC regularly on this issue and are happy to work with them on a long-term solution,” he said.

Mr Butcher said the government worked with councils to support them in meeting their urban water supply needs.

“I look forward to visiting Lenthalls Dam with Bruce Saunders in the coming weeks and continuing these important discussions with the Fraser Coast Regional Council,” he said.

“Since 2015, the Queensland Government has spent over $2.6 billion on water infrastructure and planning to ensure water security for Queenslanders.”

Farmers in the Bundaberg region, who use the water stored in Paradise for irrigation of a massive agriculture sector, also don’t support a pipeline.

Childers cane and macadamia grower Joe Russo has farmed in the Bundaberg region his entire life and is intimately aware of the history of Paradise.

“A dam on the Burnett River, for the purposes of irrigation and urban water supplies for the Bundaberg area, has been earmarked since 1970,” Mr Russo said.

“The Bundaberg region spent 35 years lobbying for Paradise Dam to be built,” he said.

“It was our Labor Member for Bundaberg, Nita Cunningham, who finally got it built, but sadly the dam was much smaller than originally planned”.

“The original dam was always intended to be much larger than the 300,000ML dam that was finally built in 2005.

“To suggest there is enough water in the system to supply the long-term needs of the Bundaberg region and the Fraser Coast is ludicrous, especially when Paradise Dam hasn’t even been reinstated yet”.

“It could be some years before Paradise is rebuilt and full again.

“Surely Mr Saunders can see that he needs to be making better plans for his region, rather than relying on a broken dam which still needs to be fixed.”

Tom Marland, a Bundaberg lawyer who is leading a class action suit regarding Paradise Dam, said he was disappointed a Labor MP for a regional seat wanted to “poach” water from another regional Labor seat.

Mr Marland said the Bundaberg region shouldn’t pay the price for what he said was a lack of investment in water infrastructure by Labor for more than 20 years.

“Surely Mr Saunders would be better off working with the new member for Bundaberg, Tom Smith, to lobby for greater water security for both their regional communities rather than trying to poach water from a small dam which has just been cut in half,” he said.

“For decades regional communities like Maryborough, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Coalstoun Lakes and others have been screaming out for long-term, strategic investment in water infrastructure, but the Labor government has not had the foresight to invest in crucial infrastructure like dams.”

Mr Marland suggested an alternative plan to secure the Fraser Coast’s water supply, although the government may find that unpalatable given the result the last time it was pursued.

“It’s clear the best longterm solution for the Fraser Coast is for a decent dam to be built on the Mary River, which is very reliable and flows right through Mr Saunders’ hometown of Maryborough” he said.

“If the Labor governments of the last 30 years have not had the foresight to invest in crucial infrastructure like a dam on the Mary River, that shouldn’t become Bundaberg’s problem.”

The former Labor governments of Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh planned to build a dam on the Mary to shore up the south-east’s water supply, but the proposal was killed off by then-federal environment minister Peter Garrett in 2009.

Mr Marland’s sentiments were echoed by Queensland’s Opposition.

Shadow Water Minister Deb Frecklington said she welcomed Mr Saunders’ interest in water security and hoped he would join her calls for more dams to be built.

“It’s a shame Mr Saunders didn’t make his voice heard in the 868 days it took his government to give Wide Bay Burnett locals the confidence they needed in restoring Paradise Dam’s wall,” Ms Frecklington said.

“But yet again, Labor is trying to distract from the major issue, that is, this government’s failure to build new dams,” she said.

“Rather than a pipeline to take water away from the people of Bundaberg and Wide Bay, we need the government to invest in new dams for Queensland.

“The only way to achieve water security is through increased water storage infrastructure. That’s what money needs to be invested in, not a pipeline.”

Paradise Dam sits in the electorate of Colin Boyce, who will run for the seat of Flynn at the upcoming federal election.

Mr Boyce said the State Government needed to do more on planning and identifying water infrastructure priorities to service the state’s population growth.

And while he gave credit to Mr Saunders for raising the issue of water security, he thought the Maryborough MP would find it hard to garner support for the proposed pipeline.

“I would suggest that, given the fiasco of Paradise Dam and the anger that’s created in the Bundaberg community, it’s a very big ask.”