Paradise Dam Improvement Project

Project overview*

EIS status	Impact assessment report (IAR) active
Description	Proposal to construct a replacement dam wall to restore Paradise Dam to its original capacity and full supply level, reinstate water supplies to the existing market and provide water security to the Bundaberg and Burnett regions for decades to come.
Proponent	Sunwater Limited
Location/s	The project is located on the Burnett River, approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Biggenden and 80km south-west of Bundaberg. Map
Local government/s	Bundaberg Regional Council North Burnett Regional Council
Investment	$4.4 billion
Key features	construction of a new dam wall approximately 90m downstream of the original dam wall partial demolition and decommissioning of the existing dam wall restoration of the dam to full supply level of 67.6m AHD and storage volume of 300,000 ML realignment of Kalliwa Road and widening of site access road across Allen Creek
Construction start date	2028 (subject to approvals)
Jobs	Median construction workforce of 600 (with a peak of 750 workers).

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.

Date	Activity
Currently	Draft IAR being prepared by proponent.
8 August 2025	Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Water decided the project is a controlled action A project that has the potential to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance is called a 'controlled action' and requires approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).
8 August 2025	Gazettal ( 244.0 KB) of ‘coordinated project’ declaration.
2 July 2025	Application, including initial advice statement ( 86.7 MB), submitted.
27 June 2025	Project referred to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Water.