The story of Paradise Dam in Central Queensland serves as a chilling reminder of what happens when large-scale infrastructure projects are rushed, mismanaged, and ultimately fail under the watch of the Queensland Labor Government. Built by an alliance of companies, including SMEC Australia—one of the firms currently involved in the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project—Paradise Dam was intended to be a beacon of water security for the region. Instead, it has become one of Australia’s worst infrastructure failures, costing taxpayers billions and endangering thousands of lives. If the government is unable to hold those responsible accountable, what hope do we have if the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project goes wrong?
Paradise Dam: A Tale of Mismanagement
Paradise Dam was constructed with the promise of providing long-term water security to the Bundaberg region. However, structural flaws emerged revealing that the dam was built with substandard materials and techniques. In 2013, a severe flood exposed the dam’s weaknesses, and subsequent investigations showed that the structure was deteriorating at an alarming rate. Despite being designed to last a century, the dam is now marked for a costly and complex rebuild—just 19 years after its completion.
“No longer in a legal state that we could seek compensation from.”
The dam’s construction was managed by an alliance of companies, including Burnett Water, Hydro Electric Corporation (trading as Hydro Tasmania), SMEC Australia, Macmahon Contractors, and Walter Construction Group. Despite their involvement in this critical infrastructure project, none of these entities have been held accountable for the dam’s failure. When Premier Steven Miles was asked about the possibility of legal action to recover costs, he confirmed that the entities responsible are “no longer in a legal state that we could seek compensation from.” This is an unacceptable outcome for the people of Queensland, who have been left to foot the bill for this disaster.
The Same Companies, The Same Risks?
The troubling aspect of the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project is that some of the same companies involved in Paradise Dam are now working on this new project. SMEC Australia, a key player in the Paradise Dam debacle, is also part of the Water2Wire Joint Venture for the Pioneer-Burdekin project. This raises serious questions about whether the lessons from Paradise Dam have been learned or if the same mistakes will be repeated.
If Paradise Dam—a project that was rushed and also had a tight budget—failed to see those responsible held accountable, what assurance do the residents of the Pioneer Valley and Mackay have? Should the Pioneer-Burdekin project result in catastrophic flooding, as seen with the potential risks of Paradise Dam, what guarantees do we have that these companies will face the consequences? If past behaviour is any indication, the people and communities of the Pioneer Valley could end up suffering without any real accountability for those involved.
The Cost of Inaction: Lives and Livelihoods at Risk
The failure to hold companies accountable not only wastes taxpayer money but also puts lives at risk. Paradise Dam’s structural flaws were so severe that experts warned of the potential for the dam to fail catastrophically, threatening tens of thousands of lives downstream. It’s a sobering reminder that when large-scale infrastructure projects go wrong, it’s not just about dollars and cents—it’s about real people, real communities, and the safety of thousands.
The Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project threatens to do the same, not just in terms of financial cost but in the potential for human catastrophe. The dam will be built in a region where failure would flood not only the Pioneer Valley but also parts of Mackay, causing loss of life and widespread devastation. The Queensland Labor Government’s track record with Paradise Dam shows a worrying pattern of negligence and a lack of accountability when things go wrong.
A Call for Greater Accountability
The people of Queensland deserve better. They deserve a government that holds contractors and companies accountable, particularly when it comes to projects that have the potential to put lives at risk. The failure of Paradise Dam should have been a turning point—an opportunity for the government to strengthen regulations and enforce accountability. Instead, the same mistakes seem poised to repeat themselves with the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project.
If Queensland Hydro and their partners are serious about ensuring community safety, they must provide transparent, rigorous assurance that the same issues that plagued Paradise Dam won’t occur again. Accountability should not be an afterthought—especially when the stakes are this high.
It’s time for the Queensland Labor Government to demonstrate that they have learned from their past mistakes. The lives, livelihoods, and communities of the Pioneer Valley are not experiments for big business. They are real people who deserve real accountability.