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Qld floods inquiry resumes hearings

By Maria Hatzakis, Thursday February 2, 2012 - 15:01 EDT

Water pours from a floodgate at Wivenhoe Dam, Brisbane's main dam on January 19, 2011. - ABC

The Queensland floods inquiry has reopened hearings to investigate allegations that Wivenhoe Dam, north-west of Brisbane, may have been mismanaged during last year's disaster.

The commission has held months of sittings, heard from more than 300 witnesses, and had millions of pages of material to analyse.

It had been due to hand down its final report later this month but a series of reports in the Australian newspaper raised questions about whether key evidence may have been overlooked.

The reports have prompted the inquiry to reopen hearings and re-examine the evidence.

The articles allege the operator of Brisbane's Wivenhoe Dam may have breached the dam manual and misled the inquiry.

On January 11 last year, the top flood alert for Wivenhoe Dam was triggered, with the volume of water reaching a critical level.

Large releases were made to prevent the dam from collapsing, contributing to the Brisbane flood.

What is now under question is how much water was released in the days leading up to this top flood alert.

Allegations have been made that the dam operator used the wrong strategy and according to the dam manual should have been making transitional releases sooner.

Counsel assisting the commission, Peter Callaghan, has told today's hearing the inquiry is now looking closely at the evidence.

"If true, the suggestion is a serious one," he said.

"Questions not only how the dam was managed but about how the public and the commission were informed."

The inquiry is now testing the evidence.

Premier Anna Bligh says she is happy to provide more information to the floods inquiry.

"At this stage the commission has only asked for a written statement," she said.

"I'm very happy to provide that to provide them with any documents that will assist them in their investigations.

"If they want me to assist them in any other way, happy to do that too."

Representatives from dam operator SEQ Water, including four engineers, are among those due to appear.

The inquiry has been set down for nine days, including two unprecedented weekend sittings.

- ABC

© ABC 2012