August 26, 2025
Toowoomba Mayor Cr Geoff McDonald has thanked the State Government for committing $54 million towards the mandatory Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project.
Toowoomba Regional Council has been pressing the government for financial support for the compulsory upgrade for more than 12 months.
The project will widen the dam spillway to increase flood resilience and protect residents downstream in the Somerset Regional Council area.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. This announcement is welcome news and will make a significant impact on this critical project and, importantly, will help us manage our financial sustainability more effectively for the betterment of our residents,” Mayor McDonald said on Monday.
“On behalf of our entire community I wish to express our deepest gratitude to the Queensland Premier, Treasurer, Water Minister and all the State Government for coming to the aid of our residents.
“We’ve spent many, many hours, months and years advocating to the relevant State and Federal Government Ministers and officials and we’re thankful the State Government has now heard our calls and responded by committing $54 million towards the project, which is justification of our efforts.”
Treasurer and Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki said the investment would help the council deliver on its legislated obligations.
“This project has been known to the Toowoomba Regional Council for more than 15 years, but it has failed to properly prepare and budget for the project,” Mr Janetzki said.
“The former Labor government also failed to act.”
Mayor McDonald said he understood why “some people” would question why it appeared Council had not set aside funding for this project in previous years.
“However, the reality is we’ve had a number of critical projects that were required to be delivered,” he said.
“Projects such as the Mt Kynoch water treatment plant upgrade (the water supply for the majority of the Toowoomba Region), the Perseverance raw water main replacement, the Cressbrook pump station electrical replacement and the new Clifton water treatment plant and bore are all examples of critical infrastructure that couldn’t be delayed and, in turn, impacted our ability to begin the spillway upgrade any sooner.”
The TRC set aside $96.5 million for the $266.1 million Cressbrook Dam project in its 2025-26 Council Budget.
It has also sought $97 million from the Federal Government’s Round 3 Disaster Ready funding. The result of this application is expected to be known next month.
Footnote: Toowoomba Regional Council is just one of several Queensland councils – including the South Burnett Regional Council – which have been ordered to upgrade dams to comply with 2005 regulations. The projects, designed to counter worst-case scenario safety issues, are blowing big holes in Council budgets. In the South Burnett, preliminary estimates for the cost of the compulsory upgrade of Gordonbrook Dam are about $20 million but will not deliver any new water to the region.
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