Water continues to gush from a broken irrigation dam in southern Queensland with fears local properties could be impacted if a five-metre hole grows larger.

February 16, 2020

Engineers continue to monitor a leaking Queensland dam amid fears local homes could be swamped by a wall of water if a five-metre hole in a broken earth wall grows larger.

Residents from about a dozen rural properties spent a second night away from their homes at Talgai, about 170km southwest of Brisbane.

They were evacuated late on Friday after a landowner spotted the 3.5m hole in the Bolzan dam, which has since grown to about 4.5 to five metres in size.

Water continues to gush from the irrigation dam, which is estimated to have fallen to about 75 per cent of its capacity.

Evacuees advised to stay away from their homes until the threat eases, Southern Downs Regional Council says.

“Engineers are still not able to declare the wall safe,” Councillor Cameron Gow told AAP on Sunday.

“The hole has collapsed a little bit more.”

Mr Gow said engineers were not prepared to walk out on the wall due to its instability.

“We could still have a minor or moderate outflow about a half a metre deep,” he said.

A smaller cofferdam with a 50 megalitre capacity below the main agricultural dam and a large paddock would contain some overflow should the dam burst.

However, there are fears homes some could be inundated with water.

On Friday night the council issued about 5000 warning messages via SMS after heavy rainfall in the region overfilled the dam.

It’s understood the prolonged drought may have caused the dam’s clay liner to dry out and crack, leading to a breach in the wall.

An emergency declaration remains in place.

Elsewhere, the Bureau of Meteorology says communities around the southern interior should remain cautious of flooding over the coming days.

Major flood warnings are in place for the Georgina River, lower Condamine River, and upper Balonne River.

A moderate flood warning has been issued for Eyre Creek.

Minor flood warnings are in place for the Paroo River, the Dawson River, Charleys Creek, the Moonie River, the Thomson River, Cooper Creek, the Macintyre River, and the lower Weir and Balonne Rivers.

Meteorologist Kimba Wong says Condamine River is likely to peak on Monday at about eight metres, more than three metres higher than the minor flooding level.

“One of the good things to come from all the rain we’ve had here in Queensland is that some of it will end up trickling into the Murray Darling Basin over the next few weeks,” she said.

Meanwhile, residents in the state’s far north sweated through a sticky few days as heatwave conditions persist.

“It’s been very hot, Cairns got up to about 40C (on Saturday) afternoon and Townsville had a minimum overnight of 29.1C,” Ms Wong said.

“Possibly its warmest since 1969.”

Temperatures are forecast to ease from Monday as strengthening northwesterly winds bring showers and thunderstorms to much of the north.