Legal action over Paradise Dam has ramped up with the Bundaberg community assembling a class action.
A group of concerned farmers are now considering initiating a class action, which would be a separate legal proceeding, supported by the Judicial Review process.
Works are currently underway on the spillway that will see the wall lowered by 5.8m and the capacity of the dam dropped to just 42.
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett visited the dam last week and said what he saw was devastating.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking to see the spillway being torn down,” he said.
“We need to build dams, not rip them up!
“The state government has taken the cheap and nasty option of destruction as opposed to providing water security for our region and fixing the dam.
“Our community is a force to be reckoned with. We will not give up and I commend and acknowledge Tom Marland the all the stakeholders involved in this class action.”
Tom Marland, Marland Law, acting on behalf of the affected farmers trying to save Paradise Dam said it is clear on Sunwater’s own material and public statements that the issue with Paradise Dam has more to do with the costs to fix it than their concern for public safety.
“Sunwater and the Government have been aware of the costs to fix the dam since 2016. When water sales were insufficient, due to inflated pricing, to fix the dam; the next cheapest option was to simply pull it down,” he said.
“The most insidious element of the conduct of Sunwater and the Government in their handling of Paradise Dam is that they have used the pain that the Bundaberg community endured in the 2013 floods as a way to scare people into thinking that the dam is unsafe to divert attention from their own negligence and mismanagement.
“At a time when water security and food security are critical to ensure our recovery from COVID-19, we have a State Government destroying a dam that delivers billions to the State and National economy.
“Impacts are already being felt in the Bundaberg community with this year’s water allocations being cut to 70%.
“The whole region is still drought declared. Who knows what water will available next year if we don’t get big rain over summer?”
The matter continues before the Supreme Court and is scheduled for a review hearing at the end of August.
29/07/2020