One dam king of a storm!

What great rain!  Creeks are running, dams are filling, frogs are calling.  And more importantly, Storm King Dam is 100% full, at 2065 ML.  Great news, and a relief, for the whole community.

This will end the water carting from Connolly Dam and, if well managed, should give Stanthorpe 3 years supply of town water. 

But we can’t rely on a one-in-a-hundred year weather event to come along when we next need water.  The Council and the State Government now need to work together to assess the options for improving Stanthorpe’s long-term water security, and get on with implementing the best option.  Emu Swamp Dam is described as a “short-term option” by the Council; Councillors should now put their time and energy into an affordable and viable long-term solution for Stanthorpe’s water security.

As part of this analysis it may be that there is no need for the Council to be involved in Emu Swamp Dam. As a short-term solution it provides little extra than Storm King Dam already provides, and may not be the best use of the limited financial resources that Council has at its disposal. If on full assessment Council cannot be adequately protected from the risks and liabilities of involvement in Emu Swamp Dam, then it might be best left as an irrigation-only dam. Time will tell on this one, and we look forward to more information from Council on the risks of its participation in Emu Swamp Dam.