Burdekin Dam Wall Raising

The Burdekin Falls Dam project is the raising of the dam an additional 2 metres which will allow for further water allocations while also providing a required safety upgrade.

The proposed two-metre raise will increase the storage capacity by approximately 574,240 megalitres or 31 per cent. The Queensland Government have allocated an investment of $540 million towards the project, however recent estimates expect the total cost to be around $1 billion. The project has received prescribe project status through the Queensland Coordinator General to support the approval process, with a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) currently being prepared with the further funding expected after necessary approvals have been obtained and the design is finalised.

A detailed business case was submitted to the Queensland Government for review, the outcomes where that necessary works were required to satisfy the safety requirements and design standards. The dam raising was an opportunity to improve water supply at the same time as the improvement work is being delivered. 

The Burdekin Falls Dam raising project aims to support the future water demand and ensure long-term viability with construction expected to begin in 2027, subject to approvals, final design and investment decision by the Queensland Government.