LNP queries dam release
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has denied stateowned dam operator Sunwater ignored a request to release water earlier from the Ross River Dam to prevent widespread flooding.
The State Opposition used the first sitting week of Parliament to grill the Premier on the role Sunwater played around how much water should have been released from the dam during the week of unprecedented rainfall.
It comes after Ms Palaszczuk last week attempted to buck-pass questions regarding the operation of the dam to its owners, the Townsville City Council.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington asked the Premier if advice had been sought about the early release of water from the dam. The Premier accused the Opposition of politicising the natural disaster.
“All the advice was listened to and all agencies co-operated together,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The monsoonal trough parked itself above the dam and there was an unprecedented amount of water dumped. No one could predict the amount. I have never seen weather like that in my life.
“People were commenting that it was a one in 100-year flood. Now the experts are saying it was a one in 500-year event.”
In a follow-up question from Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander whether Sunwater ignored a request to release water early, Ms Palaszczuk said she had been advised that was not true.
The gates of the Ross River Dam opened fully about 8pm on Sunday, spilling about 2000cu m of water a second into the river. It peaked at a height of 42.99m about two hours later.
Thousands of homes were inundated in the worst flooding ever to hit Townsville.
As of Monday afternoon, according to Townsville City Council, 1879 properties were identified as having minor damage, 1009 with moderate damage and 133 with severe damage.
A council spokesman said rainfall totals over parts of the Ross River Dam catchment had been in excess of what he called a 1-in-2000 year rainfall event.