Paradise Dam Commission of Inquiry underway

An independent Commission of Inquiry is now underway into the facts and circumstances that contributed to the structural and stability issues at Paradise Dam near Bundaberg.

Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said Executive Council had appointed  former Supreme Court judge John Byrne AO RFDandProfessor John Carteras Commissioners.

“Establishing an independent Commission of Inquiry gives the Commissioners the necessary authority to conduct a fully transparent and comprehensive review,” Dr Lynham said.

 “This Commission of Inquiry will have all the resources necessary to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of structural and stability issues identified in the engineering and technical studies into the Paradise Dam.

“The terms of reference also ensure the Commission has the powers to make recommendations to ensure that any future Queensland dam projects are designed, constructed and commissioned to acceptable standards.”

The terms of reference are also now available at dnrme.qld.gov.au

Dr Lynham said all investigations related to the dam continued in parallel.

“Sunwater’s investigations, the independent technical reports and the Business Queensland assessment of future options have happened in parallel, as will the Commission of Inquiry.

 This will allow decisions to be made as soon as possible.

“In the meantime, the dam is safe, and work is continuing to address safety concerns in the event of an extreme weather event like Cyclone Oswald in 2013.”

 [ENDS]

Media inquiries: Jan Martin 0439 341 314