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Cressbrook Dam is the Toowoomba Region’s main source of drinking water and is essential for the Region’s water security.
As a result of the revised dam safety requirements, Council is progressing the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project to improve the dam’s flood resilience, ensuring it can continue to perform safely under extreme weather and flood events. It will also mean downstream communities in the Somerset Region are better protected.
The project will widen the existing spillway and raise the dam crest level which will provide Cressbrook Dam with greater capacity to absorb these extreme rainfall events and to safely release excess water. Construction work will also include:
Although this critical upgrade project will improve water security and reduce risks to people and property associated with extreme flood events, the current project scope will not deliver additional water to the Region.
Construction will commence mid-2025, subject to approval of the final design by the State’s Dam Safety Regulator. It will be the largest dam safety project undertaken by a Queensland local government to date. It is also the largest capital project ever undertaken by Toowoomba Regional Council.
Council is partnering with SMEC and Seymour Whyte to complete construction by its required completion date of late 2026. To better manage risks and overall costs, the project will be delivered as an ‘Alliance’ contract.
The final project cost will be around $270 million. While Council acknowledges the criticality of this project, it will have to defer several other important projects if grant funding cannot be secured. These projects are necessary for Council to deliver on its obligations under the recently released Shaping SEQ Regional Plan, and specifically, the SEQ Infrastructure Plan.
Given the necessity to build and maintain critical services and infrastructure for a growing community, Council is seeking State and/or Federal government grant assistance to ensure the continued growth of the Region.
Without grant support, the project will be largely debt funded from the Queensland Treasury Corporation. This debt drawdown is likely to take Council to its maximum borrowing capacity and will negatively impact its financial sustainability.
Without grant support, the project will be largely debt funded through the Queensland Treasury Corporation, pushing Council to its maximum borrowing capacity and negatively impacting financial sustainability. Despite Council’s strong financial management, attested by QTC at a time when almost half of Queensland Councils face financial concerns, the scale of this project requires external funding to manage future adverse financial shocks and continue delivering essential projects and services for the community.
Additionally, without grant funding, the full cost of the safety improvement project will be transferred to ratepayers through increased water charges. The average annual water bill for a residential ratepayer is currently $1,115, with an estimated ongoing present value increase of $120 per year as a direct result of the project. This estimate is based on a 2024 review and includes a phased increase to cover the project's capital costs, interest, and depreciation over the remaining life of the dam.
Access to safe and reliable drinking water is a fundamental necessity, and the Council remains committed to ensuring it remains both sustainable and affordable for our community. Grant funding is essential to delivering the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project while safeguarding our residents' financial well-being and maintaining the Council's capacity to provide other necessary infrastructure projects.
For further information about the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project, please contact the project team by calling 131 872 or emailing cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au.
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