The federal government has announced it will provide up to $600 million towards the cost of restoring Queensland's Paradise Dam to its full 300,000 megalitre capacity.
Earlier this week, the Queensland Premier announced funding of $600 million towards the $1.2 billion cost of the work.
Annastacia Palaszczuk called on the federal government to provide a similar amount.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said the Commonwealth commitment would ensure the work got done.
"Farmers in the region have spent the last two years in limbo worrying if they'll have the water they need to support and grow their businesses into the future," he said.
"It's all well and good for the Queensland Labor government to say they'll fix the dam, but the funding they've committed falls well short of what's required to complete the job.
"It's upsetting that we have to put money into a dam that's already there rather than building a new dam.
"The money was always there, we were planning for it, it's not like we just came up with the idea this week.
"Even though you say, 'Let's do this together, they go out in front of you."
Paradise Dam is the main water source for growers in the Wide Bay-Burnett region, and returning the dam to its full 300,000-megalitre capacity is expected to restore confidence in the region.
Restoring the wall will nearly double the dam's capacity.
The federal government said it will establish a project team to work with the Queensland government to ensure the rebuild progresses without further delay.
Fix will boost economy
The Federal Member for Hinkler, the Nationals' Keith Pitt, said taxpayers would not be in this position if the Queensland Labor government had built the dam properly in the first place.
"Despite desperate pleas to fix it from our local agriculture sector over the last two years, we've had nothing but delays and excuses from the state government about why it couldn't be done," Mr Pitt said.
"While I am pleased that we are able to deliver the money that's necessary, it breaks my heart to think that this funding could have gone to a new Level 5 hospital for Bundaberg or to dual-carriage the Maryborough-Bundaberg section of the Bruce Highway.
"I'm suggesting very strongly to the Deputy Prime Minister that we put a time frame on this because otherwise we know that the state government could potentially sit there for 10 years and never build the thing."
Queensland's Water Minister Glenn Butcher has previously said construction was expected to start in late 2023 and be completed by 2028.
Growers want an end date
Growers in the Wide Bay-Burnett are calling for an end date to construction to restore confidence across the region.
Tina McPherson from Tinaberries said uncertainty surrounding the dam's future has put stress on growers' mental health.
"We've had three years of really low rainfall and bad droughts so this was compounded by both the wall coming down and very dry seasons," she said.
"The suffering of growers has been very real and will continue to be real.
"It's really important that they actually have an end date and that they start work as soon as possible.
"This announcement gives confidence that wasn't there before. I think we will see a renewed interest in land development across the region."
