Hunter North West Tenterfield Creek Dam Risk Report
Contact point
Client
Tenterfield Shire Council
Services
Five yearly Surveillance Inspection, Dambreak and Potential Loss of Life Study, Dam Wall Stability Analysis, Failure Risk Assessment
Background
Tenterfield Creek Dam, located approximately 2 km upstream of the town of Tenterfield, was originally constructed in 1930 as a concrete gravity structure with a storage capacity of about 830 ML. The dam was raised in 1974 to increase its capacity to 1,300 ML and was further strengthened in 2018 with a mass concrete buttress. Since NSW Public Works (NSWPW) investigation and design involvement in 2018, Tenterfield Shire Council has continued to engage NSWPW to prepare dam safety documents to satisfy the requirements of the Dams Safety NSW Regulations 2019.
Key facts
- Investigation and design of dam security upgrade by NSWPW in 2014
- Upgrade completed in 2018
- Inaugural Risk Report completed by NSWPW in 2025
- Future NSWPW involvement: to prepare a dam Emergency Plan (EP) with the latest dambreak flood modelling data.
Our role
NSWPW played a critical role in maintaining the safety and regulatory compliance of Tenterfield Creek Dam. Through rigorous dambreak flood modelling, consequence and failure risk assessments, we ensured the dam’s safety aligns with current Dam Safety NSW (DSNSW) and Australian National Committee of Large Dams (ANCOLD) guidelines.
The Dams Team conducts regular 5 yearly Surveillance Inspections of the dam to monitor potential changes in failure likelihoods and consequences.
NSWPW’s inspections and desktop assessment outcomes support the council successfully and efficiently to operate and maintain the dam to current engineering best practice and satisfy the interests of all stakeholders.
Outcomes
The project focused on revealing the dam failure risk tolerability to the stakeholders, in addition, identifying dam safety aspects which are to be risk-reduced in following the So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable (SFAIRP) philosophy.
The initiative also strengthens safety and operations and maintenance (O&M) procedures to safeguard both the community and the surrounding environment.
These outcomes are underpinned by the rich dam engineering expertise and experience of NSWPW since the 1970s, providing confidence in the quality and reliability of the dam investigation, design and safety works undertaken.
