Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in this chamber this evening to speak about what I will refer to as the Paradise Dam fiasco in my home state of Queensland. I previously brought the chamber's attention to the fact that Annastacia Palaszczuk is the only premier or prime minister in Australia's history to ever be found in contempt of their home parliament. This fiasco, the Paradise Dam fiasco, is just emblematic of the contempt with which she treats the people of Queensland.

What was the situation? In September, the good people of Queensland were advised that there was a safety issue with the Paradise Dam. They weren't told what that issue was; they were simply told that there was a safety issue. Then, the next step from our contemptuous state government in Queensland, the Palaszczuk-Trad government, was an announcement from the agricultural minister, Minister Lynham, who said: 'We're doing great things for the drought-stricken farmers of Queensland by providing 110,000 megalitres of water for free. It's a great thing for the people of Queensland—a great thing for farmers.' It's all spin, no substance.

The next thing that happened was that thousands of megalitres of water went from the dam into the sea—precious water at a time of drought flowing from the dam straight into the sea; unutilised, unused, precious water straight out to the sea. And whilst it was flowing down the rivers, there was still no answer from the Queensland Palaszczuk-Trad government as to what the safety issue was—no answer at all.

What was the next announcement? The state government announced a permanent five-metre decrease in the height of the dam wall which would take the capacity of the dam from 300,000 megalitres to 215,000 megalitres. It would take it to 42 per cent of its previous capacity. So there was no answer with respect to the safety issue; there was 105,000 to 110,000 megalitres of unused water flowing down the rivers into the sea; and then there was the announcement that they were going to decrease the dam wall by five metres so that the capacity of the dam would fall from 300,000 megalitres to 215,000 megalitres.

As I stand in this chamber today, the people of that region still have no answer with respect to the safety issue that this course of action was meant to address. It has an impact on their water security, it has an impact on their property values, it has an impact on their feeling of personal safety and it has an impact on investment decisions. This region of Queensland produces all sorts of agricultural produce—macadamia nuts, avocados, sweet potatoes. All sorts of produce is produced in this area utilising this water from this dam, and all that is now being put in peril by the contemptuous actions of the Palaszczuk-Trad government. There are still no answers with respect to the safety issue with respect to the dam.

I would like to commend in this place the advocacy of the local federal and state members who have kept this issue at the top of everyone's mind. In particular, I'd like to congratulate Mr Keith Pitt MP, member for Hinkler; Mr Ken O'Dowd MP, member for Flynn; Mr Colin Boyce, member for Callide; Mr Stephen Bennett, member for Burnett; Mr David Batt, member for the state seat of Bundaberg; and Mr Ted Sorenson, state member for Hervey Bay. I want to read to you from a letter they wrote to the state Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, the Hon. Dr Anthony Lynham MP. This letter is dated 29 October 2019:

Dear Minister Lynham

We, the undersigned, are devastated to see 400 megalitres of precious water flowing from Paradise Dam over the Ben Anderson Barrage and out to sea each day, when we are experiencing one of the most serious droughts in decades.

The State Government's decision to permanently reduce Paradise Dam to 42% capacity was initially touted by you as good news for our region, with free water for all. However, as you would be aware, the announcement has inflicted much anxiety, confusion and honest fury within our community. The permanent 5 metre reduction in the dam's spillway has the potential to change our region in its entirety.

We appreciate your advice that the Paradise Dam spillway needs to be lowered in order to allow for rectifying works to commence mid next year and we understand that these reporting processes take time. However, we, and the people of this district cannot understand why this detrimental decision was made prior to the completion of expert reporting and without any community consultation.

Our communities deserve to know the full details and the full extent of the safety concerns, how the issue will be fixed, whether the dam will ever be returned to full capacity or what other options you have to ensure our region's water security and most importantly, whether you will commit to delaying any permanent action to reduce Paradise Dam's capacity until after the experts' findings and advice are received and published early next year.

This is arguably one of the biggest issues affecting our future. Our region deserves answers and we call on you to provide a fully transparent and public declaration of the circumstances and rightly commit to delaying any permanent work until the outcome of the investigations are known.

This is a shameful episode in a continuum of shameful episodes in the history of the Palaszczuk-Trad government. It is inexplicable as to why the state government will not be honest with the people of that region and explain to them what the actual reasons are. What are the safety issues which need to be addressed? What are the alternatives? Why won't they be honest with the people of that key agricultural region, who deserve better?

I want to conclude with the words of the chair of the Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers, Allan Mahoney. These are his words, not my words, and I think he perfectly sums up the feeling of the people in that region:

Our community deserves better than this, we deserve better than this, our industry deserves better than this.

I add my voice to Mr Mahoney's. The people of Queensland certainly deserve better than the ineptitude of the Palaszczuk-Trad government.