Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project

Overview

We are building a safer, stronger future at Cressbrook Dam through Queensland's largest local government-led dam safety project.

The safety improvements to Cressbrook Dam, including widening the spillway and raising the crest, will ensure the dam can safely pass larger volumes of water in a major flood event. These upgrades are essential to meet modern safety and engineering standards.

The Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project (CDSIP) is mandated by the Queensland Government Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers. Under the guidelines, as a responsible dam owner, we must achieve an 'As Low as Reasonably Practicable' (ALARP) risk position to increase flood resilience and protect downstream communities.

If you're curious about the CDSIP site, view our interactive site map and discover the true size and scale of the project.

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This project is being delivered by Toowoomba Regional Council, SMEC Australia, and Seymour Whyte Constructions.

Design our boat competition

Boat design competition advertising banner

Calling all Toowoomba Region primary school-aged children...it’s time to grab your colouring in pencils and let your creativity shine! We need your help to design the look of our two newest Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project (CDSIP) team members - our transport boats.

Tutti Frutti and Lady Musgrave II will soon hit the water and join the CDSIP team. Their job is a vital one, transporting workers to and from site each day and now we’re giving local kids the chance to help bring them to life with colour.

We can’t wait to see the imagination and talent of our Region’s young artists on display. Let the colouring begin!

How to enter

Children aged 5 – 12 years who live or attend school in the Toowoomba Region are invited to submit a hand-coloured design for either Tutti Frutti or Lady Musgrave II.

The competition runs from 1 – 31 May 2026. All entries must be received by 5pm AEST, 31 May 2026.

Download the colouring in sheets: (PDF, 60KB)Colour in Tutti Frutti(PDF, 60KB) and Colour in Lady Musgrave(PDF, 60KB).
Submit your entry. Entries can be submitted in two ways:
- online: parents can photograph or scan the artwork and email it to cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au
- in person: drop off to any customer service centre or library.

Prizes

Two winning designs, one for each boat, will be turned into stickers and proudly displayed on Tutti Frutti and Lady Musgrave II. Winners will also be invited to attend the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project sod-turning ceremony.

Terms and conditions

This competition is being run by Toowoomba Regional Council as part of the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project (CDSIP).

Entry

1. Terms and conditions set out below.

2. The organiser of this competition is Toowoomba Regional Council, trading as Toowoomba Regional Council ABN 99 788 305 360,4 Little Street, Toowoomba City, Queensland.

3. A person who enters the competition is called an ‘Entrant’.

4. Submitting an entry in this competition will be taken to mean that the Entrant or their parent/guardian has read, and agrees to be bound by, the terms and conditions of this competition, warrants that any entry which is submitted complies with all legal obligations including but not limited to obligations arising out of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and is eligible to enter the competition.

5. This competition commences on Friday 1 May 2026 and closes at 5pm on Sunday 31 May 2026.

6. Winners will be drawn and announced by Friday 19 June 2026.

Prize

Individual prize: The winning child’s name design will be digitalised, printed as large stickers and placed on the barges. The child will be invited to attend the sod-turning ceremony, which will include a boat trip to the site for photos with dignitaries, plus some merchandise featuring their winning design.

Educational prize: If the winning child is selected from a school-based submission, the school (class/year level of the student) will receive an interactive engineering incursion on how dams and spillways work, along with broad-brimmed hats featuring the winning design for participating students.

The winner will be chosen by the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project Alliance Management Team, this team has representatives from Toowoomba Regional Council, SMEC and Seymour Whyte.

Any transport costs or ancillary costs to collect a prize, attend the sod-turning ceremony or photo opportunity at the site of the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project are the winners’ responsibility.

Entry eligibility

To be eligible to enter this competition, the entrant must:

1. Be an individual who is a resident of Australia with an Australian mailing address.

2. Be a current resident of the Toowoomba Regional Council area or attend a Toowoomba Region Primary School.

3. Be aged 5 – 12 years.

4. Not be a Councillor of Toowoomba Regional Council.

5. Not be a child of an employee of Toowoomba Regional Council.

6. If entering as an individual (and not as part of a school-based submission), provide parent/guardian permission and contact details with the entry.

7. Complete the official colouring-in sheet supplied by Toowoomba Regional Council.

An entry must:

1. Be submitted only once per entrant. Multiple entries from the same child will result in disqualification.

2. Be completed using the official Toowoomba Regional Council colouring-in sheet.

3. Be the entrant’s own original colouring-in work.

4. Be coloured in by hand and not AI generated.

5. Be submitted to a TRC customer service centre, or photographed/scanned and emailed by a parent/guardian to cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au. If entering as an individual (and not as part of a school-based submission), provide parent/guardian permission and contact details with the entry.

6. Not be distasteful offensive, obscene, potentially defamatory or discriminatory. Toowoomba Regional Council has the right to remove or exclude any entries at its sole discretion if they are deemed to be non-compliant with this requirement.

7. Comply with all laws in relations to all matters associate with entering this competition including but not limited to any obligations arising out of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Intellectual property rights

The Toowoomba Regional Council takes no responsibility for any breach of copyright or moral rights by an entrant or any other party.

Costs, liability and indemnity

Entry to this competition is free. Toowoomba Regional Council:

1. reserves its right to limit entry or amend the terms and conditions of this competition if considered necessary at its sole discretion without notice - no liability shall attach to the Toowoomba Regional Council a result of such action; and

2. reserves the right to change the opening dates and times of this competition without notice; and

3. to the fullest extent permitted by law, excludes any liability to entrants for any loss, damage, claim and/or expense that entrants suffer or incur in relation to or in connection to the Design Our Boat Competition, whether the loss is suffered either directly or indirectly; and

4. accepts no responsibility for any late, lost or misdirected entries due to technical disruptions, network congestion or otherwise; and

5. reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel or modify the competition at any time. If cancelled under this clause, Toowoomba Regional Council may choose to select a winner from eligible entries, if any, received at the time of cancellation or it may choose to award no prize.

The entrant is solely liable for and hereby indemnifies Toowoomba Regional Council (including employees and agents) from and against all liability, actions, proceedings, claims, demands, penalties, losses, damage and expense which may be incurred by, brought against or made upon Toowoomba Regional Council or its employees and agents arising out of, or in connection with, either directly or indirectly, the Design Our Boat Competition including but not limited to:

1. any breach of these terms and conditions of this Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project Design Our Boat competition.

Judging entries, prizes and winners

• If an entrant does not comply with any of the competition terms and conditions, the judges may without giving reasons, and in their sole discretion, reject or disqualify an entry. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

• Lost or stolen prizes will not be replaced.

• The winner will be notified by email or phone, by 19 June 2026 and announced at the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project sod-turning on Friday, 10 July 2026.

• Individual prize: The winning child’s name design will be digitalised, printed as large stickers and placed on the barges. The child will be invited to attend the sod-turning ceremony, which will include a boat trip to the site for photos with dignitaries, plus some merchandise featuring their winning design.

• Educational prize: If the winning child is selected from a school-based submission, the school (class/year level of the student) will receive an interactive engineering incursion on how dams and spillways work, along with broad-brimmed hats featuring the winning design for participating students.

• A Toowoomba Regional Council staff member will arrange with the entrant to collect the prize. The prize is non-transferable. If the Toowoomba Regional Council staff member cannot get in touch with the entrant (within 6 attempts of contact) within 10 business days then the prize will be redrawn.

• Any grievance will be investigated in accordance with Toowoomba Regional Council’s Policy 2.52 Complaint Policy and Management framework.

Information privacy

Toowoomba Regional Council will protect the entrant’s right to privacy of its personal information under the Information Privacy Act 2009 and other laws. The information obtained from the entry form and any other associated document may be provided to agents and licensees of Toowoomba Regional Council for the purpose of the administration and to conduct this Design Our Boat Competition, or the publicity, promotion and exhibition of the Toowoomba Regional Council or Toowoomba Regional Council area, or this competition or any future competition.

Governing law

This competition, including the competition terms and conditions is governed by the laws of the State of Queensland and the Commonwealth of Australia. The entrant submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland and federal courts of Australia.

Contact details:

Toowoomba Regional Council

Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project

cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au

131 872

Project progress

Cressbrook dam progress shown in a graph

The CDSIP is currently in the design phase. It's a complex project that carries considerable risk. Our goal is to do the work once and do it properly. The way we make Cressbrook Dam safer matters, as this project is about improving water security, through disaster resilience, for the Toowoomba Region community and to protect life downstream. It's too dam important to get wrong!

As part of the design phase, improvement works are being undertaken on three Somerset Regional Council (SRC) roads. The improvements will ensure Kipper Creek Road, Cressbrook Creek Road and Wivenhoe Pipeline Access Road can safely accommodate heavy vehicle movements ahead of major CDSIP construction.

Construction updates

Preparation of staff office and parking areas

Non-recreational areas are being prepared to host a staff office and parking for the construction team. These areas are located away from the public day use spaces.

Work in these areas may take place from 6am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. During this time, there may be more heavy vehicles and machinery in the area. For everyone’s safety, please follow all signs and directions from authorised staff.

Boats and the staff office will be transported to Lake Cressbrook on public roads using heavy vehicles. Once installed, they will be monitoring by CCTV.

Buoy line relocation

In the coming months, we will change the buoy line to restrict watercraft accessing the spillway and Little Oaky Creek. Boating in other areas of the dam will remain available.

Project details

Purpose of the project

We are building a safer, stronger future by protecting life and improving water security at Cressbrook Dam. This project has been mandated by the Queensland Government, but Cressbrook Dam belongs to the Toowoomba Region; it's community owned infrastructure which carries shared responsibility. The CDSIP will enhance flood resilience, making the dam safer and decreasing the likelihood of failure. It will also protect downstream communities in the Somerset Regional Council area. Industry standards have evolved and so has the level of risk we can responsibly accept as the dam owner. We are committed to upholding only well recognised, best practice standards, nothing less.

ALARP requirements

Cressbrook Dam is a referable dam. A referable dam is defined as a dam that poses a potential risk to downstream populations if it were to fail and dam safety standards exist to protect downstream communities. We are applying a risk-based approach to design the safety improvements to ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’ (ALARP) to meet the requirements set out under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008.

We are carefully assessing potential risks, including dam failure and flood impacts and are evaluating risk reduction measures to determine the most effective solutions.

Safety measures are also balanced against factors such as cost, practicality, and environmental impact to find the best solution to ensure safety, efficiency and sustainability.

Construction phase

Construction work will include:

widening the spillway to the left bank
raising the dam crest
re-profiling berms
strengthening the right-hand wall
upgrading dam instruments
widening and deepening the plunge pool
re-profiling the spillway crest
extending the spillway flip bucket.

Other works will include establishing site facilities, preparing local access roads and creek crossings which will be used by the team during construction activities, and restoring areas affected by construction.

Construction timeframe

CDSIP early construction work is underway, with main construction to commence in mid-2026.

Construction impacts

The team will be working Mondays to Saturdays, between 6am to 6pm.

Affected residents will be notified before the start of construction and if any work needs to be conducted outside of these hours.

The community may experience some temporary impacts, including dust, lighting and noise from machinery or vehicles and increased traffic or changed traffic conditions on local roads.

Where possible, the team will work to minimise impacts and will share information about the progress of the project.

Full security measures will be in place on site, including CCTV cameras.

Road impacts

The following Toowoomba Region roads are anticipated to be used by the project to access Cressbrook Dam (Lake Cressbrook):

Cressbrook Recreation Road
Esk-Hampton Road
Mount Jockey Road
New England Highway
Pechey-Forestry Road
Perseverance Dam Road
Sebastapool Road (enabling works only).

The project team will monitor the condition of these local roads.

The following Somerset Regional roads may be used by the project to bring equipment and materials to the dam:

Brennan Road
Cressbrook Creek Road
Esk-Crows Nest Road
Gatton-Esk Road
Kipper Creek Road
Toogoolawah-Biarra Road
Wivenhoe pipeline route.

Local business opportunities

The project team have placed high priority on maximising the local spend within the Toowoomba Region to support our community.

We encourage local businesses interested in supplying to the project to register an expression of interest through the project's ICN Gateway webpage. For all other procurement or labour hire enquiries, please email cressbrooksafetyimprovement@tr.qld.gov.au or call 131 872.

Cressbrook Dam facts

Cressbrook Dam is located about 40 kilometres north-east of Toowoomba’s CBD.
63 per cent of the Toowoomba Region’s water storage capacity is at Cressbrook Dam.
Cressbrook Dam has a storage capacity of 81,842 ML, that’s equivalent to approximately 71,000 outdoor Milne Bay pools full of water.
Designed by Farr Evrat & Associates in the 1970s – 1980, Cressbrook Dam was constructed from 1981 – 1983.
The dam is a central core zoned earth-fill embankment with a concrete-lined spillway on the left abutment.
Cressbrook Dam first reached full supply level in May 1989.
The Wivenhoe Dam pipeline is used when Cressbrook Dam’s useable capacity falls below 40 per cent.
Cressbrook Dam is classified as a referable dam. A referable dam is a dam whose failure would put two or more people at risk.
Cressbrook Dam is the first of 13 referable dams in Queensland to undertake a safety improvement project.
Cressbrook Dam currently has the equal fifth highest wall in Queensland; its dam wall is the same height as Wivenhoe Dam at 59 metres above natural surface level.
The only Queensland dams with higher walls than Cressbrook are Split-Yard Creek, Boondooma, Glenlyon and Hinze Dams.
The dam has a total catchment area of 320km2 (including Perseverance Dam).
Current width of the spillway is 20 metres.
The length of the dam wall is approximately 370 metres.
Cressbrook Dam is 5km as the crow flies downstream of Perseverance Dam, but 8km following the course of Perseverance / Cressbrook Creek.
Wivenhoe Dam is 25.5km as the crow flies downstream of Cressbrook Dam but 49km following the course of Cressbrook Creek / Brisbane River.

Current dam level

The Cressbrook Dam level needs to be at, or below 70 per cent for specific activities during construction. Unfortunately, we can't control the weather; the more rainfall the region receives the longer reduction of the dam level will take.

View the individual dam levels & daily use figures.

Funding update

We have welcomed the State Government's $54 million funding commitment towards the CDSIP.

We continue our advocacy efforts with the Federal Government. In February 2026, we released our 2026/27 Federal Budget advocacy priorities, including a request for an $80 million contribution to assist with delivering the project.

Project benefits

Improving Cressbrook Dam:

protects and maintains our Region’s water for businesses and residents
improves dam safety for downstream communities during major flooding events
provides better dam monitoring and data inputs to assist us to make decisions during weather events
complies with state regulation and best practice objectives
provides opportunities for local growth.

63 per cent of our water storage capacity is at Cressbrook Dam. If it were to fail, not only would it be catastrophic for downstream communities, but it would threaten one of our primary water sources; water our community relies on every day. Safeguarding that supply is essential. While we’re not increasing our water storage capacity, this is about protecting our existing water infrastructure.