Dozens of dams need to be upgraded across Queensland at a cost of more than $3 billion, prompting calls for the next state government to offer financial support.
Toowoomba Regional Council wants government support to pay for safety upgrades to Cressbrook dam.Several Queensland councils have to upgrade major dam spillways to prepare for rare ultra-extreme weather events.
Her council is one of several in Queensland facing budget black holes in the coming years over mandated dam safety upgrades expected to cost residents billions.South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff says the cost of upgrading Gordonbrook Dam will hurt ratepayers.Gordonbrook Dam, near Kingaroy, needs to have its spillway upgraded to protect about seven people downstream from a failure in a rare, potential ultra-extreme weather event.
The calculations meant eight dams would need their spillways upgraded by 2025, while 30 would need to be upgraded by 2035. "Our time frame is to have the work substantially completed by October next year," Mayor Geoff McDonald said. Cr McDonald said when the upgrades were initially brought to the council's attention in 2007 the dam had to be upgraded to pass a one-in-3.2-million-year event.Cressbrook Dam levels will be reduced to 70 per cent so upgrades can be completed safely."You can imagine what the cost to do an upgrade would have been if we had stayed on that original standard," he said.
"With councils receiving just three cents in every dollar of taxation raised nationally – compared to 80 cents for the Commonwealth and nearly 17 cents for the state — Queensland communities and councils cannot afford to go it alone on these multi-million-dollar repairs," LGAQ chief executive Alison Smith said.
Referable Dam Queensland Election Qld Election Election Issues South Burnett Gordonbrook Dam Cressbrook Dam Dam Failure Releasing Floodwater
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Queensland truth telling won’t mean anything if it falls on deaf earsFirst Peoples have seen their trust squandered time and again; this is an opportunity to rebuild it by really listening
Read more »
Dozens dead and millions still without power after Helene's deadly march across south-eastern USHurricane Helene caused dozens of deaths and billions of dollars' worth of destruction across several states in the south-eastern United States.
Read more »
Bottom-breathing turtle among Queensland endangered species under threat from invasive fishRecord floods propel aggressive Mozambique tilapia throughout Mary River, compromising efforts to save ancient fish and endangered turtles
Read more »
Litmus test: why Queensland’s election matters to Albanese and DuttonThe state vote could have major implications for both leaders as issues such as cost of living and nuclear energy are debated ahead of a federal poll
Read more »
Tenant evicted from 'sinking' rental home with hours' notice awarded $5,000 by Queensland tribunalThe Moreton Bay rental was listed for sale as needing 'some TLC (or a bulldozer)'. A few weeks later it sold for $590,000.
Read more »
Queensland Election: Rockhampton Test Ground for Albanese and DuttonAs Queensland prepares for state elections on October 26th, the battleground seat of Rockhampton is attracting significant attention. The outcome in this traditionally Labor stronghold could have major implications for both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Coalition leader Peter Dutton as they campaign ahead of a federal election.
Read more »