The future of the Burdekin Falls Dam was the point of the discussion this week as Ayr Chamber of Commerce held their monthly networking event at Home Hill News and Coffee on Wednesday, November 21.
Members of the North Queensland Water Task Force were invited to discuss their advocacy for raising the dam wall by 14.6 metres as opposed to the current proposal from Sunwater to raise the wall by two metres.
“North Queensland Water Task Force reached out wanting to provide their opinion on what the Burdekin Falls Dam Stage 2 project is,” said Ayr Chamber of Commerce President Leigh Kefford.
“We hear about the Government’s stance and Burdekin Shire Council’s so this is a different perspective for the members to think about.”
North Queensland Water Task Force Member Barry Lowe said the group is focused on promoting the “real” completion of Burdekin Falls Dam Stage 2 by raising the wall 14.6 metres.
“If they raise the wall by two metres, they will ruin the dam, because effectively you’ll have to cut off the two metres to raise it again,” he said.
“The two-metre raising is going to increase the storage by about 500,000 megalitres, but if you raise it by the 14.6 metres it was designed and built for, it will increase the storage by over 6 million megalitres and give all that capacity for flood mitigation, because the big floods will come.
“It opens up more areas to irrigation then you’ve got certainty of water and certainty of production.
“Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, it’s the lowest and flattest, why are we not a nation of dam builders?”
Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Lyn McLaughlin also spoke about the Council’s opposition to raising the wall by 14.6 metres, citing economic and environmental concerns.
“Council’s position is that we publicly oppose the 14.6m metres,” she said.
“Our priority is the future and the businesses of the Lower Burdekin.”
Ayr Chamber of Commerce will hold its next networking event and Christmas breakup at Blinds 2 U in Home Hill from 6:00pm, Thursday, December 7.
North Queensland Water Task Force Member Barry Lowe and Ayr Chamber of Commerce President Leigh Kefford
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