Protestors have demanded that Queensland’s Paradise Dam be fixed and not lowered.

Water authority Sunwater is releasing water to reduce the dam’s capacity to 41 per cent so that its wall can be lowered by 5 metres.

It comes after a Commission of Inquiry heard from former engineers, designers and contractors about structural and stability issues with the dam wall.

But at protests in Bundaberg over the weekend, angry locals aid they want Paradise Dam repaired rather than its capacity reduced.

A spokesperson from Sunwater said their “priorities in relation to Paradise Dam are the safety of downstream communities and water security”.

Hearings for the official inquiry continue in Bundaberg this week.