Monday, 21 May 2007
Council approve up to $382 million on the works delivery phase of Hinze Dam Stage 3

Gold Coast City Council Coordination Committee today approved spending of up to $382 million on the works delivery phase of Hinze Dam Stage 3.

Coordination Committee Chair, Councillor David Power, said the project would create extra water storage for the city and reduce the number of properties potentially flooded in a 1-in-100 year flood event in the lower Nerang River catchment.

He said the project was the result of sound and careful infrastructure planning by the Gold Coast City Council.

“The Stage 3 project will reduce possible flood damage to residences downstream and almost double the water storage capacity from 163,000 million litres to 309,700 million litres,” said Cr Power.
“This means by the end of 2010, our daily available water supply capacity will increase to 225 million litres.
“As part of the Gold Coast City Council’s Waterfuture Strategy, Hinze Dam Stage 3 will also ensure the dam complies with current safety standards and guidelines.”

Gold Coast City Council is partnering a consortium of private sector firms (Thiess Pty Ltd, Sinclair Knight Merz and URS) in an alliance to deliver the Hinze Dam Stage 3 project.

Hinze Dam Alliance Manager, Dale Gilbert, said: “The total project cost reflects the immense amount of work required in terms of dam design, construction materials and resources, community consultation and relevant State and Australian Government approvals.”

“An example of the immense engineering challenge ahead of us is the amount of material to be moved to raise the dam - 3.0 million cubic metres.”

Raising the dam wall by 15 metres will include:

• increasing the dam intake towers on the western and eastern dam reaches,
• upgrading the saddle dams, spillways, chutes, local roads and bridge, and
• providing compensatory habitat.

A draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be available for public comment next month.

Community feedback on the project continues to be provided to the Alliance through a Community Advisory Committee which has been meeting regularly since November 2006.

Work on the dam is expected to begin in October 2007, with completion of the project expected by the end of 2010.

Up to 230 workers will be employed during peak periods of the project.

Project related updates and information on the draft EIS is available via goldcoast.qld.gov.au/hinzedamstage3 or by phoning the Alliance Team via 1300 366 692 or hds3@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

For further information, please phone Gary Stubbs on 5581 7748 or 0424 778 944