Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project

Details: Last Updated: Thursday, 13 November 2025 10:13

Toowoomba Regional Council is building a safer, stronger future at Cressbrook Dam through Queensland's largest local government-led dam safety project.

The safety improvements to Cressbrook Dam, including widening the spillway and raising the crest, will ensure the dam can safely pass larger volumes of water in a major flood event. These upgrades are essential to meet modern safety and engineering standards, ensuring the dam can manage future flood risks.

The Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project (CDSIP) is mandated by the Queensland Government Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers.

Project progress

The CDSIP is currently in design phase. It is a complex project that carries considerable risk, Council's goal is to do the work once and do it properly. How Council makes Cressbrook Dam safer matters, at its core, this project is about improving water security (through disaster resilience) for the Toowoomba Region community and protecting life downstream. It's too dam important to get wrong!

As part of the design phase, improvement works will be undertaken on three Somerset Regional Council (SRC) roads. The improvements will ensure Kipper Creek Road, Cressbrook Creek Road and Wivenhoe Pipeline Access Road can safely accommodate heavy vehicle movements ahead of major CDSIP construction.

Work has commenced on improving a section of Kipper Creek Road. During this time, one lane will remain open as contractors work Monday to Friday 7.30am - 5.30pm. For everyone's safety, please follow the traffic controller's instructions and the signed speed limit. Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, weather and construction conditions permitting.

Cressbrook Dam progress indicator showing approximate value of 70%.

Funding update

Toowoomba Regional Council has welcomed the State Government's $54 million funding commitment towards the CDSIP.

Council continues its advocacy efforts with the Federal Government. Earlier this year, Council applied for $97 million in funding from round three of the Australian Government's Disaster Ready Fund 2025-26.

Project benefits

Improving Cressbrook Dam:

protects and maintains our Region’s water for businesses and residents
improves dam safety for downstream communities during major flooding events
provides better dam monitoring and data inputs to assist us to make decisions during weather events
complies with State regulation and best practice objectives
provides opportunities for local growth.

Key improvements - before and after

Contact us

Phone: 131 872

Email us with questions or to receive progress updates at: cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au.

+ - Project news Click to collapse

+ - Project updates Click to collapse

Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement project FAQs

+ - What is the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project? Click to collapse

The Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project (CDSIP) is mandated by the Queensland Government Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers. It is the largest dam safety project undertaken by a Queensland local government to date. Under the guidelines, as a responsible dam owner, Council must achieve an 'As Low as Reasonably Practicable' (ALARP) risk position to increase flood resilience and protect downstream communities.

+ - Why is Council undertaking this project? Click to collapse

Toowoomba Regional Council is building a safer, stronger future by protecting life and improving water security at Cressbrook Dam. Yes, this project has been mandated by the Queensland Government, but Cressbrook Dam belongs to the Toowoomba Region; it's community owned infrastructure which carries shared responsibility. The CDSIP will enhance flood resilience, making the dam safer and decreasing the likelihood of failure. It will also protect downstream communities in the Somerset Regional Council area. Industry standards have evolved and so has the level of risk we can responsibly accept as the dam owner. Council is committed to upholding only well recognised, best practice standards, nothing less.

+ - What is ALARP? Click to collapse

Cressbrook Dam is a referable dam. A referable dam is defined as a dam that poses a potential risk to downstream populations if it were to fail and dam safety standards exist to protect downstream communities.

We are applying a risk-based approach to design the safety improvements to ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’ to meet the requirements set out under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008.

Council is carefully assessing potential risks, including dam failure and flood impacts, and are evaluating risk reduction measures to determine the most effective solutions.

Safety measures are also balanced against factors such as cost, practicality, and environmental impact to find the best solution to ensure safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

+ - What construction work is being undertaken as part of the project? Click to collapse

Construction work will include:

widening the spillway to the left bank
raising the dam crest
re-profiling berms
strengthening the right-hand wall
upgrading dam instruments
widening and deepening the plunge pool
re-profiling the spillway crest
extending the spillway flip bucket.

Other works will include establishing site facilities, preparing local access roads and creek crossings which will be used by the team during construction activities, and restoring areas affected by construction

+ - When is construction due to commence? Click to collapse

The team are planning for the CDSIP early construction work to commence by the end of the year, weather permitting.

+ - What early construction works are planned and what will the impact be? Click to collapse

The following Toowoomba Region roads are anticipated to be used by the project to access Cressbrook Dam (Lake Cressbrook):
• Cressbrook Recreation Road
• Esk-Hampton Road
• Mount Jockey Road
• New England Highway
• Pechey-Forestry Road
• Perseverance Dam Road
• Sebastapool Road (enabling works only).
The project team will monitor the condition of these local roads.

The following Somerset Regional roads may be used by the project to bring equipment and materials to the dam:
• Brennan Road
• Cressbrook Creek Road
• Esk-Crows Nest Road
• Gatton-Esk Road
• Kipper Creek Road
• Toogoolawah-Biarra Road
• Wivenhoe Pipeline route

Construction works and impacts

The team will be working Mondays to Saturdays, between 6am to 6pm.

Affected residents will be notified before the start of construction and if any work needs to be conducted outside of these hours.

The community may experience some temporary impacts, including dust, lighting and noise from machinery or vehicles, and increased traffic or changed traffic conditions on local roads.

Where possible, the team will work to minimise impacts and will share information about the progress of the project.

Full security measures will be in place on site, including CCTV cameras.

Preparing local Somerset Region roads and creek crossings

To transport materials safely and efficiently to the dam, we are preparing some sections of Cressbrook Creek and Kipper Creek Roads in Biarra that will be used by heavy and light vehicles during the construction phase.

We are also preparing identified creek crossings to accommodate any dam water releases that may be needed for constructing this project.

In November 2025, work will commence on improving a section of Kipper Creek Road. During this time, one lane will remain open as contractors work Monday to Friday, 7.30am - 5.30pm. For everyone's safety, please follow the traffic controller's instructions and the signed speed limit. Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, weather and construction conditions permitting.

We will ensure local landowners and the community are kept up to date on when works are scheduled to begin on Cressbrook Creek Road and Wivenhoe Pipeline Access Road.

+ - Where can I find the current dam level? Click to collapse

Cressbrook Dam's level needs to be at, or below 70 per cent for specific activities during construction. Unfortunately, we can't control the weather, the more rainfall the region receives the longer draw down of the dam will take. Council is preferentially pumping water from Cressbrook Dam for our water supply and have opened the riparian release valves to aid in lowering the dam level.

cressbrook dam level june 2025

Cressbrook Dam water level is at 90.72% at August 2025. View the individual dam levels & daily use figures.

For more information see TRC changes management of water network to lower Cressbrook Dam.

+ - What are the project benefits for the Toowoomba Region? Click to collapse

63 per cent of the Toowoomba Region’s water storage capacity is at Cressbrook Dam. If it were to fail, not only would it be catastrophic for downstream communities, but it would threaten one of our primary water sources, water our community relies on every day. Safeguarding that supply is essential. The project team have placed high priority on maximising the local spend within the Toowoomba Region to support our community. While we’re not increasing our water storage capacity, this is about protecting our existing water infrastructure.

+ - Cressbrook Dam fast facts Click to collapse

Cressbrook Dam is located about 40 kilometres north-east of Toowoomba’s CBD.
63 per cent of the Toowoomba Region’s water storage capacity is at Cressbrook Dam.
Cressbrook Dam has a storage capacity of 81,842 ML, that’s equivalent to approximately 71,000 outdoor Milne Bay pools full of water.
Designed by Farr Evrat & Associates in the 1970s – 1980, Cressbrook Dam was constructed from 1981 – 1983.
The dam is a central core zoned earth-fill embankment with a concrete-lined spillway on the left abutment.
Cressbrook Dam first reached full supply level in May 1989.
The Wivenhoe Dam pipeline is used when Cressbrook Dam’s useable capacity falls below 40 per cent.
Cressbrook Dam is classified as a referable dam.
A referable dam is a dam whose failure would put two or more people at risk.
Cressbrook Dam is the first of 13 referable dams in Queensland to undertake a safety improvement project.
Cressbrook Dam currently has the equal fifth highest wall in Queensland; its dam wall is the same height as Wivenhoe Dam at 59 metres above natural surface level.
The only Queensland dams with higher walls than Cressbrook are Split-Yard Creek, Boondooma, Glenlyon and Hinze Dams.
The dam has a total catchment area of 320km2 (including Perseverance Dam).
Current width of the spillway is 20 metres.
The length of the dam wall is approximately 370 metres.
Cressbrook Dam is 5km as the crow flies downstream of Perseverance Dam, but 8km following the course of Perseverance / Cressbrook Creek
Wivenhoe Dam is 25.5km as the crow flies downstream of Cressbrook Dam but 49km following the course of Cressbrook Creek / Brisbane River.

+ - Is there an opportunity for local businesses to be involved in the project? Click to collapse

We encourage local businesses interested in supplying to the project to register an expression of interest through the project's ICN Gateway webpage. For all other procurement or labour hire enquiries, please email cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au or call 131 872.

+ - How can I contact Council to find more information about the CDSIP? Click to collapse

Please email cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au or call 131 872.

This project is being delivered by Toowoomba Regional Council, SMEC Australia, and Seymour Whyte Constructions.

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Project progress

Funding update

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Key improvements - before and after

Contact us

Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement project FAQs

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Project progress

Funding update

Project benefits

Key improvements - before and after

Contact us

Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement project FAQs

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