FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Deputy Premier Steven Miles, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Bundy MP Tom Smith and Water Minister Glenn Butcher announce state funding for Paradise Dam. Pictures: AARON GOODWIN The Feds match the cash, from left, MP’s Colin Boyce and Keith Pitt with Tinaberries owner Tina McPherson and Bree Grima from BFVG.

The price of Paradise

It was a big week for Bundaberg farmers and the Bundaberg community as a whole. For the past two and a half years Bundaberg farmers have been holding their breath over the future of Paradise Dam and the community it supports.

On Tuesday 7 February, the Premier announced $600 million in funding as part of a $1.2 billion project to restore Paradise Dam and return water security and investment certainty for the entire Bundaberg region. By Friday, the Federal Government with the help of our local member Keith Pitt announced a matching $600 million commitment to make the project a reality.

Since September 2019, Bundaberg farmers have been battling drought conditions, worker shortages, Covid restrictions and also the fear that Paradise Dam would not be reinstated. There has been an enormous amount of heart break, angst and loss that has accumulated over the last two and a half years.

Finally, it appears that common sense has prevailed. But all the announcements and funding commitments won’t return water security overnight. We are still several years away from having the dam rebuilt and back to full capacity. The challenge now is to have the dam restored and refilled in the shortest time possible.

There has been a tremendous amount of work that has gone into seeing Paradise Dam restored and the lead up to both the State Government and Federal Government announcements took years of hard work.

Our agricultural farming representative groups worked both independently and collectively to lobby the State Government to restore water security to Bundaberg. Bundaberg Cane Growers, Isis Cane Growers, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers and Agforce have provided a united front and been resolute in their positions that the only option was to restore Paradise Dam.

Individual farmers contributed over $1.2 million to commence a class action to save Paradise Dam. The class action continues although the major milestone of having the State Government agree to restore the dam has been reached. The class action will continue until the dam is fully restored, is full of water like it was in September 2019 and water security is preserved for all allocation holders.

The decision to restore Paradise Dam has been an amazing achievement for the Bundaberg community. The $1.2 billion announcement will return water security, job security and investment security to the entire region. It didn’t just happen by chance but demonstrates what communities can achieve when they put politics and petty differences aside and work together for the common good. It comes with a hefty price tag but is an investment into our region that will pay dividends for decades to come.

But no sooner was the ink dry on the funding commitments and neighbouring electorates were asking for water from Paradise Dam which currently does not exist. Bruce Saunders the Labor Member for Maryborough hardly made a noise when Paradise Dam was lowered but after the hard work was done and commitments were made to have it restored, he had his hand out to build a pipeline to Maryborough.

There is a perfectly good river that runs right through his own electorate called the Mary River and he would be wise to start looking at options in his own backyard before he starts poaching other regions water. He might also want to start talking to his own Government about the lack of critical water investment in Queensland.

Queensland has had 30 years out of the last 33 of Labor Governments. In that time they have only built one dam - Paradise Dam in 2005 which they are having to rebuild in 2022. They are currently constructing Rookwood Weir - that while essential for the region - will only store 86,000 ML.

Perhaps it’s time to have a broader discussion about investing in critical and long-term water infrastructure across Queensland. There are already a number of projects that are “shovel ready” but just need State Government and Federal Government support.

Two pieces of critical infrastructure in my region are the Cooranga Weir on the Boyne River near Mundubbera and Barlil Weir on Barambah Creek. These projects would provide water security to one of the largest citrus and small crop regions in the Wide Bay Region and also open up economic development for Coalston Lakes.

One of the first things that needs to happen is for Australia’s National Water Initiative, which was implemented in 1994 to be amended. The NWI requires that all water storage projects only be developed if they are “fully cost recoverable”. The problem with this approach is that dams or water storages can only be valued on the water stored and sold and no recognition or value is placed on what that water can grow or produce and the jobs and wealth generated.

We need to get our priorities right and invest in the critical infrastructure and industries which underpin our economy and our futures. Placing a “full cost recovery” burden on our most essential resource - water - makes little economic, social and environmental sense. Perhaps the Member for Maryborough could start the conversation.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

TOM MARLAND