The Queensland Government announced a new paradise Dam Wall following recommendations that the existing wall is unable to be repaired.
The existing concrete dam, located on the Burnett River 80 kilometres southwest of Bundaberg, currently has a 170,000 megalitre storage capacity and supplies the Bundaberg region.
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Sunwater |
| Successful Tenderer: | An Alliance with CPB Contractors and Georgiou (joint construction partner) and GHD (ongoing design partner) |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| 2013 | Paradise Dam saw significant damage following floods in the region. |
| 2020 | Essential works were undertaken on Paradise Dam which saw the primary spillway lowered and a temporary concrete crest constructed to reduce pressure on the dam in the event of a significant flood which lowered the water levels of the dam wall to 42 per cent of its maximum capacity. |
| 2021 | The Queensland Government announced its preferred option for the long-term future of the Paradise Dam was for improvement works to be undertaken on the existing wall to restore it to its original height and capacity to increase safety and meet supply and demand requirements. The Queensland and Australian Governments each allocated $600 million to the improvement project. |
| Sep 2022 | Sunwater commenced a procurement process for an Alliance contract, with separate design and construction contractors, to deliver the improvement works to the existing wall. |
| 2023 | During the development of the detailed business case for the improvement works, three issues were identified during testing – swelling clay, cement leaching and carbonation – which saw experts recommend that the existing dam wall was irreparable due to issues with the long-term strength and quality of the concrete. |
| Jan 2024 | The Queensland Government announced planning commencement for a new Paradise Dam Wall. The Government also announced the appointment of CPB Contractors and Georgiou jointly as construction partner and GHD as the ongoing design partner to form an Alliance for the new wall project. |
| Feb 2024 | The Queensland Government announced the appointment of CMC Group to undertake the first of three upgrades to Paradise Dam Road as part of enabling works to support the Paradise Dam project. Enabling works had commenced to approximately 10 kilometres of the road. |
| Jun 2024 | The 2024-25 Queensland Budget noted planned expenditure by SunWater of $110 million in FY2024-25 toward planning and enabling works for the project. A total of $313 million is expected to be spent on planning and early works for the project. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2024)
Sector
Water & Sewerage
Procurement approach
Alliance |
Location
Queensland |
Resources
