MEDIA STATEMENT: A dam disgrace: water infrastructure blows out by $6.5 billion under Labor 

A dam disgrace: water infrastructure blows out by $6.5 billion under Labor 

• Labor presides over billions of dollars in budget blowouts in water infrastructure
• An increase of at least $6.5 billion across 11 projects
• Another example of Labor’s lack of transparency and fiscal vandalism  

The cost of building and maintaining Queensland’s water infrastructure has blown out by at least $6.5 billion on Labor’s watch.

Shockingly, Labor never told Queenslanders about these cost escalations before the election.

Almost half of the increase comes from the cost of rebuilding Paradise Dam, which Labor grossly underestimated. 

Rebuilding the project will now cost at minimum $4.4 billion, well ahead of the former Labor Government’s $1.2 billion estimate.  

New departmental analysis of 11 key water infrastructure projects has revealed at least $6.5 billion in blow outs, including: 

• Paradise Dam up to $4.4 billion, an increase of $3.2 billion
• Wivenhoe Dam Improvement Project up to $2.7 billion, an increase of $673 million 
• Lake MacDonald up to $542 million, an increase of $138 million
• Burdekin Falls Dam up to $1.67 billion, an increase of $623 million
• Somerset Dam up to $1.6 billion, an increase of $950 million
• North Pine Dam up to $789 million, an increase of $19 million
• North Pine Pump Station renewal up to $600 million, an increase of $550 million
• Image Flat WTP up to $345 million, an increase of $52 million
• Lowood Pipeline Upgrade up to $222 million, an increase of $99 million
• Noosa WTP up to $394 million, an increase of $93 million
• Toowoomba to Warwick Pipeline up to $467 million, an increase of $141 million.

Minister for Water Ann Leahy will meet with Bundaberg irrigators today to reaffirm the LNP Government’s commitment to the Paradise Dam project.   

"The Crisafulli Government will always be open and transparent about infrastructure costings – and to be very clear – we will deliver Paradise Dam as we promised” Minister Leahy said. 

“Labor knew the cost of rebuilding Paradise Dam had exploded yet they kept the truth from Queenslanders. 

“Instead of allocating money in the budget to progress this project, Labor was drawing up plans for state owned service stations and free lunches.” 

Treasurer David Janetzki said Labor’s fiscal mismanagement continued to put the budget under pressure. 

“The former Labor Government should have been up front and told Queenslanders about these blow-outs,” Treasurer Janetzki said. 

“Labor’s complete inability to manage the budget is why they have failed to properly deliver infrastructure projects and services for the past decade.  

“Could you imagine the state Queensland would be in if Labor had been returned to power?” 

ENDS 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Premier’s Office: Jordan Fabris 0418 198 814 

Treasurer’s Office: Renee Smith 0419 404 180