James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Paradise Dam is Australia's greatest—or, indeed, worst—infrastructure fail. I think the word 'fail' does not do justice to the scandal that is Paradise Dam. It's a stuff-up. If buggering up dams were a criminal offence then the former Labor government in Queensland, led by Peter Beattie, would certainly be serving time behind bars. The failure to build Paradise Dam properly and then the failure of the current Labor administration in Queensland to adequately deal with Paradise Dam is a blight not just on public administration in Australia, but a huge blight on the farmers of the Wide Bay-Burnett. These are farmers who have invested millions of dollars in building one of Australia's greatest food bowls and who are now in the fight of their lives. They are fighting for their very existence because of the failure of the Labor government in Queensland.

The farmers are working to raise money for a class action, and I'd like to commend Marland Law, who are based in Bundaberg, for the work that they are doing to bring farmers, the business community and the community across the broader Wide Bay-Burnett together to fight for justice and to fight this Labor government, which just doesn't seem to care. For those who might be listening at home, I would encourage you to go onto Facebook and to go to 'Paradise Dam Class Action' to get involved with what Marland Law are trying to do.

What I would like to do is thank a number of businesses and supporters who have already put money into the class action: Wilson's Industrial Sales, Adds Up Engineering, J&R McCracken, Ag-Culture Enterprises, EE Muir & Sons, Lindsay Australia, Ag Plus Consultancy, Suncoast Gold Macadamias, Vanderfield, DBM, Farmgate Backpackers Childers, Mason Ag, Zadco, Nowa Power Products, Sunfam CRT, Agreco, Total Grower Services, A1 Realty Wide Bay Burnett and First National Real Estate Childers. It's important I read those businesses out because they are businesses who know the importance of Paradise Dam for the broader Wide Bay and Burnett area and they know that this class action is probably the last thing left to them because of the failure of the state Labor in Queensland.

Without significant rainfall, Paradise Dam is projected to be empty, with zero capacity, within months and possibly weeks. That's very serious. This is a food bowl that depends on water to irrigate the crops that feed Australia and also are exported to the world. What we're facing with these farmers is that the government are tearing down parts of this dam wall. They gave the community next to no notice. They refuse to acknowledge expert advice and they are refusing to tell the farmers whose livelihoods depend on access to water when or how they will restore the dam. They've also failed to produce their own construction reports to their own inquiry, and farmers are being drip-fed quite inadequate information as to the plans the state Labor government may have for the future of Paradise Dam. I don't even think it's a dam anymore. It's more like a paradise hole. It's this massive emptiness. It's a paradise black hole that once led the way for the growth of this food bowl but now just leads the way to economic ruin for an area that should be able to do so much more for Australia.

Farmers and their representatives have been advised that one alternative water source is Fred Haigh Dam. It is a bulk capacity share scheme with two subaccounts. One is for the Kolan subscheme and one is for the Burnett River subscheme. However, details of the inflow distribution show that just 15 per cent of the water share from Fred Haigh Dam is available to customers of the Burnett subscheme. Sunwater has indicated it has no intention to make an amendment to the bulk capacity share rules for Fred Haigh Dam. So the Queensland Labor government are again failing our farmers terribly, hurting those who have invested in the region, who have decided to risk all to help grow their communities so they can employ people, so they can sell food to Australians and so they can sell food overseas to help Australia grow. But you know who doesn't have their backs? The state Labor government doesn't have their backs.

So my message is a begging message to Premier Palaszczuk: you have a 3½-year term ahead of you and I would ask that you, please, give the farmers and the communities of Wide Bay and Burnett the answers they deserve. Please rebuild the dam wall and restore this dam. We know Labor won't deliver. We know Labor don't care much about regional Queensland because they're so focused on Green preferences to help them stay in power. I would encourage those listening to get in touch with Marland Law or to go on Facebook and get involved and put some money into this class action so we can hold this state Labor government to account.

Senate adjourned at 21 : 34