In response to resident concerns regarding fencing, including the use of barbed wire, at the water treatment plant at Lake MacDonald, the Minister for Water has obtained the following information (in italics) from Seqwater:

Noosa Water Treatment Plant fence:

  • The land surrounding the Noosa Water Treatment Plant is freehold land owned and managed by Seqwater.
  • The fence was originally installed as part of securing the site for the Lake Macdonald Dam Improvement Project, but has been updated over time to prevent public safety concerns and to address recurring incidents of vandalism and illegal access.
  • Seqwater is committed to preventing and minimising potential impact to the environmental values on and surrounding Seqwater’s facilities and assets. The fence is designed in a way that minimises potential risk of entrapment and/or impediments to fish passage and in a severe flood event is designed to swing downstream in line with the main flow of water.
  • The area is monitored daily and no injured wildlife have been located to date.

Changes to the Noosa Trail Network trails:

  • Seqwater consulted with Noosa Shire Council regarding changes to the Noosa Trail Network multi-use recreation trails at Lake Macdonald.
  • The changes, made in 2021, addressed a number of public safety concerns related to operation of live assets in the area, such as the dam spillway and downstream pipelines, and shared use with operational traffic.
  • In collaboration with Noosa Shire Council, Seqwater altered the access points to these trails so that they no longer pass through an Seqwater operational area. The trail was permanently relocated approximately 500m downstream through Tewantin National Park.
  • Changes to the trail were updated on the Noosa Trail Network and Seqwater website, and local signage is in place.

In conversations with the Minister’s office, they also relayed that the original fencing in 2021 did not include the use of barbed wire, which was added in October 2022 in response to vandalism.

We are still currently awaiting outcomes from the reassessment of the proposed Dam Upgrade project itself  www.seqwater.com.au/project/lake-macdonald-dam-upgrade

Contact information for Seqwater can be found at www.seqwater.com.au/contact-us