queensland Kurwongbah Upgrade Update.

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Copy of email from SEQ water.

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April 2018 Latest news The Sideling Creek Dam (Lake Kurwongbah) upgrade will begin next month, as part of Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Program. The detailed design for the upgrade of Sideling Creek Dam (Lake Kurwongbah) is being finalised and construction planning has commenced.  We expect the upgrade will take about 12 months to complete, subject to weather conditions and other unforeseen delays. Who is undertaking the work? Seqwater is the Queensland Government statutory authority responsible for providing a safe, secure and cost-effective bulk drinking water supply for 3.1 million people across South East Queensland. Seqwater are the owner and manager of the Sideling Creek Dam. Seqwater is currently evaluating tenders for the construction works with contract award anticipated late April 2018.  About the upgrade The work will involve strengthening the main embankment of the dam and the concrete spillway, and then restoring the dam’s capacity to the original full supply level. Upgrading the dam is the most effective way to improve dam safety, while maintaining the dam’s flood mitigation benefits and keeping the lake open to recreation. The work will involve constructing a sand filter layer across the downstream face of the embankment held in place by a layer of engineered fill.  The lower part of the dam in the original creek bed will be stabilised by the construction of a rockfill berm to support the embankment. The main spillway guide walls will be strengthened with concrete buttress and the height raised by 600mm. Over the next month we will be completing our documentation, sourcing equipment, hiring personnel and approving the materials for construction. This phase of the project also involves integrating the results of our safety and environmental assessments into the design. A traffic management assessment has already been completed for Sideling Creek Dam to consider the impacts of construction on the local road network.  We have also completed Cultural Heritage and Environmental assessments at the site in preparation for construction. In the last e-update we discussed the planned construction of a new dissipator in the form of an excavated pool which will be constructed at the end of the concrete spillway to manage erosion and reduce fish stranding downstream.  To find out more about this improvement, click here. Image: Embankment post upgrade Recently we carried out ecological field surveys to confirm the construction activities will not have a significant adverse impact on threatened species. The assessment also investigated and confirmed impacts on State matters such as protected flora and fauna and Regional Ecosystems. While there are no significant adverse impacts identified, the existing vegetation contains a number of non-juvenile koala habitat trees (NJKHT), which have been assessed under State legislation.   Seqwater has elected the land-based offset on a ‘best for environment’ basis and we have identified a suitable area within the greater catchment for planting of offsets at a 3.1 ratio. Further details can be found on the vegetation clearing and offsets factsheet, click here. Keeping you informed Seqwater will be at the Petrie Markets on Sunday 22 April 2018 between 8am and 2pm. It will be a great opportunity for you to drop in, speak with the team and ask any questions that you have about the upgrade. We will also be hosting a community BBQ and drop in session at Mick Hanfling Park on Saturday 28 April 2018. Drop in any time between 11-2pm for a chat with project representatives. We look forward to seeing you there! Image: Mick Hanfling Park In other news... Recreation changes Recent changes now allow paddlers and skiers to access the lake every day of the week and the previous shared days arrangement no longer exists. There are now separate zones on the lake - an area for skiing and an area for paddling. Club rowing continues to use the designated rowing course. An additional paddlecraft wash down facility and launch point have also been established and designated at Mick Hanfling Park. All recreation users are required to wash their watercraft to help prevent the spread of aquatic weeds. Read the media release here or download the new Lake Kurwongbah Recreation Guide. The Dayboro Road day use area known as ‘Kurwongbah Park’ will be closed to the public during the upgrade.  It will be used as an entrance during construction and will be the location of our site offices during the upgrade. After the dam upgrade is complete Kurwongbah Park will be reinstated with new facilities. Dayboro Road – turning lane upgrades Seqwater is currently upgrading the access to the Pine Rivers Rowing Club. The work is expected to take six weeks, subject to weather conditions and other unexpected delays. The construction company Pensar are undertaking the work on Dayboro Road between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday. The construction of a turning lane on Dayboro Road is a safety improvement for this stretch of road. Please be mindful of the construction team as you drive past – the 40kph speed limit is there to keep our team safe while at work. Thanks for your patience while we complete this work. Image: Dayboro Road upgrade Background - Dam Improvement Program Sideling Creek Dam was constructed in 1957 and upgraded in 1969.  In 2012-13, as part of our ongoing monitoring, Seqwater commissioned an independent assessment of Sideling Creek Dam and our other regulated dams. Sideling Creek Dam is one of a number of dams across South East Queensland identified in the assessment for upgrade. In Queensland, dam owners are responsible for the safety of their dams under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008. Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Program is about upgrading dams in line with the latest engineering standards and to meet the current Queensland Dam Safety Guidelines. Sign up for e-updates We will be sending regular e-updates during the construction of this project to keep you informed. This is the best way to get the latest information, so if you know someone who might be interested in this project encourage them to subscribe. Sign up for free dam release alerts Sign up to our dam release notification service to be notified when Sideling Creek Dam is spilling and/or nearby North Pine Dam is releasing water. This free service provides subscribers with notifications by email, SMS or recorded messages to telephone landlines when gated dams are releasing water or un-gated dams are spilling. Register now to get dam alerts or download the Seqwater app from the App Store or Google Play on your device. For more information w seqwater.com.au/damimprovement e communications@seqwater.com.au p 1800 771 497