Thiess Barnard JV to build new Queensland dam

A joint venture between Thiess and Barnard Australia has been announced as the preferred tenderer to build SunWater’s Connors River Dam in Central Queensland.

The project is valued at more than $300 million and will see a roller compacted concrete dam with a storage capacity of 370,000 megalitres constructed on the Connors River, 120 kilometres south west of Mackay and 110 kilometres east of Moranbah.

The 50/50 joint venture combines the construction experience and capacity of Thiess with Barnard Australia’s specific expertise in roller compacted concrete dam construction.

Thiess Managing Director Bruce Munro welcomed SunWater’s announcement.

“Thiess has a great record of providing water infrastructure in Queensland including iconic Lake Wivenhoe and we look forward to this new partnership with SunWater,” Mr Munro said.

Thiess’ Queensland Executive Manager Infrastructure Greg Sparkman says Thiess has a long and proud history of dam construction in Australia.

“Our first dam was built by the founding Thiess brothers in 1933 and the company has built an average of one a year ever since,” Mr Sparkman said.

“This will be dam number 76 and follows our highly successful project increasing the capacity of Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast.”

The Thiess Barnard JV and SunWater will now progress the project to contract stage with construction to begin in the first half of 2012.

The dam wall will be 610 metres long with a central spillway 250 metres in length. The area of the dam will be nearly 5,700 hectares.

Preparation for the project will include the construction of a workers’ camp to accommodate 400 people.