On 16 March James Lister asked the Premier about progress on Emu Swamp Dam.  I’m heartened to see our MP speaking up for his community, but given the rare opportunity for him to ask questions in parliament, it would have been better if he’d asked about real long-term water security for the region (population 35,000), rather than asking about progress on a private dam for 50 irrigators.

I also found the question curious, because in fact GBIP has not applied for its approvals.  Apart from the EIS (environmental approvals, which were already obtained by SDRC before GBIP took on the project), almost everything else is dealt with in a streamlined process under a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation.  An MID incorporates all local government and State government planning issues.  In Dec 2020 GBIP said it was intending to lodge their MID application in February 2021.  When POW! met with GBIP in March 2021 Lloyd Taylor said it was "not far away".  GBIP did eventually try to lodge this on 29 July 2021, but as it hadn’t secured the properties in the dam footprint, it could not lodge the application.  GBIP don't have to have actually bought these the properties, it just needs binding legal contracts, which can be conditional.  But it doesn’t even have that.  By my count, at least 7 of the 17 landowners who are in the inundation area have not agreed to sell to GBIP.  But this is not the real reason why the project has stalled.

The real issue is that the new estimate of the cost of construction of the dam is more than $200 million, compared to the earlier $84 million.  Before public money can be used for a project like this it must satisfy a cost benefit analysis.  The Business Case for the project achieved this by a whisker at $84 million.  At more than $200 million the project fails utterly as regards taxpayer money.  And both the council and irrigators should now be very concerned about the likelihood of future cost overruns over and above $200 million.

If James Lister wants action on the dam, maybe he should ask GBIP.  Despite taxpayers funding the $6m tender exercise, we haven’t officially been told the results.  The project’s last newsletter was June 2021, yes 9 months ago, despite the promise to “keep us informed”.   

An alternative would be for James to advocate for real long-term water security for his electorate.  With $200 million we could have both the Connolly Dam pipeline, and raise the wall of Storm King Dam, either of which would be better at providing water security for Stanthorpe.  And with the money left over (likely almost $100m) perhaps we could fund water efficiency projects for all of the Granite Belt’s 450 farmers, rather than just 50.  Not to mention putting an end to the disgraceful limbo that affected landowners have been left in for nearly 2 decades.  As a community it’s time for us to move on to better options.  I wonder whether our State representative will move on with us.