From the last Council meeting on 22 September 2021, we know that GBIP and Council “have until 1 November 2021 to enter into all of the Framework Documents (or such later  date  agreed  in  writing)  before  the  Framework  Agreement  automatically  terminates.”

That’s less than a month away, and we still have no confirmation from Council as to how it will ensure that cost overruns are not payable by Council, and ultimately ratepayers.  The most obvious way would be for Council to ensure that there is a binding legal commitment to pay all cost overruns from a party with sufficient financial capacity.  Given that the State government has ruled itself out (see Southern Free Times, 16 October 2019), and that the Federal government has not made any commitment over and above its $47m, it’s hard to see who this party might be.

But perhaps we can find part of the answer about cost overruns in the speech from Councillor Tancred at the 16 December 2020 Ordinary Council meeting (at 02:30:00):

“If you vote yes today it doesn’t necessarily even mean the dam’s going to get built.  There’s still environmental concerns, and of course the quotes to build the dam might be more than the $84m that are projected which would be a showstopper, everybody recognises that.”

Given the tenders for the pipeline and dam closed on 3 August 2021 and 17 September 2021 respectively, perhaps it’s time for Council to ask GBIP whether there’s been “a showstopper”.