The Queensland Government have today confirmed Paradise Dam will be restored to full capacity in a win for farmers in the Bundaberg and Wide Bay region.
The ALP member for Bundaberg Tom Smith confirmed the decision, posting on Twitter that he and the minister for water Glenn Butcher had made the announcement on Friday.
Paradise Dam originally stored 300,000ML when full, but when Sunwater and the State Government lowered the spillway due to safety concerns, the dam was only able to store 170,000ML, 57 per cent of the original capacity.
At the lowered rate, the dam hit 108 per cent capacity as recently as November.
The move comes after representatives from 11 key Bundaberg region farming groups released a joint statement in November, calling for a decision to be made.
Shadow Minister for Water and the Construction of Dams Deb Frecklington has "cautiously" welcomed the announcement .
Mrs Frecklington said that without the full details it is difficult to know how or when the restoration will occur.
"The devil will be in detail and we are yet to see how the restoration of Paradise Dam will be funded, or the timeframe," she said.
"However, this is the right decision.
"The full restoration of Paradise Dam is exactly what the LNP has been calling and advocating for."
Mrs Frecklington said she wanted the dam restored "as soon as possible".
"The experts have always said that the dam could be restored to its full height," she said.
"We must ask the question though, why has this announcement has been made on the day before Christmas?
"You can't tell me that the report hasn't been sitting on the Minister's desk for some time."
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