THE CONSERVATION COUNCIL (CCQ) of Queensland, Australia, is hoping that the National Competition Council(NCC) will not approve the proposed Paradise dam in southeast Queensland.
The CCQ has submitted a new study to the NCC, questioning the project’s economic feasibility. The study prepared for the CCQ by Dr John Ward, an economist, says that the sugarcane industry, the main group who will use the water from the dam, would not be able to afford to pay for the water, given the current sugar prices.
Queensland’s Minister for Local Government and Planning says the report has come too late in the day to alter the state government’s commitment to the project, and that the dam is scheduled to be started in this financial year. Burnett Water, the developer of the dam, says there is a demand for water not only in the sugar cane industry but also in commodities other than sugar.