Water security for Warwick took a big step forward this week with the Queensland government’s announcement of funding of $300 million for the Toowoomba to Warwick pipeline.

Why would this pipeline end at Warwick, given that Stanthorpe needed water carting in the last drought?  Why wouldn’t the pipeline go all the way to Stanthorpe?  After all, the Connolly Dam pipeline was recommended by at least two of Council’s own independent expert reports as better than Emu Swamp Dam for improving urban water security for Stanthorpe. 

Perhaps because our Mayor refuses to look at any other option “while Emu Swamp Dam is on the table”.  He has made that position very clear to anyone who would listen.  So maybe the State government decided to avoid the issue for now by finishing the pipeline at Warwick.

Surely after this announcement, if the Mayor truly cared about Stanthorpe’s water security, then he would be talking with the Queensland government about extending the pipeline to Stanthorpe.  Otherwise Stanthorpe will miss out on being part of a large infrastructure project that would massively improve our drought resilience. 

The Stanthorpe Today article Community Cabinet Meets quotes Mayor Pennisi as saying he had concerns about the affordability of the pipeline, and the effect on ratepayers, but is confident the State government will consider this.

The State government is paying for the pipeline, which will presumably be part of Seqwater / Sunwater water infrastructure.  Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said, “this government has always provided regional communities with critical infrastructure and services”.  There is nothing in the announcement that indicates any cost to ratepayers. 

Strange though, isn’t it, that the Mayor has no such concerns about the cost to ratepayers of investing in Emu Swamp Dam, a dam that would have been empty in the last drought. 

In his interview with David Iliffe on ABC Southern Queensland on 29 April 2022, Mayor Pennisi defended the cost to ratepayers of investing in Emu Swamp Dam, saying that Council would be a customer of Emu Swamp Dam, just like they are with Leslie Dam.  Are they the same?  Actually, no.   As a customer of Leslie Dam, SDRC has not invested any capital and is not on the hook for a share of annual running costs or long-term maintenance.  That is all done by Sunwater.  All SDRC do is pay for the town water they take, and recover that cost from ratepayers.

By comparison, as an investor in Emu Swamp Dam SDRC is investing about $3.5 million in capital and will be on the hook for 15% of annual charges (whether or not they use the water), currently estimated at around $250,000 per annum, 15% of any other unexpected costs and expenses and 15% of any cost overruns.  Sounds less like a “customer” and more like “a financial disaster” to me.

From where I’m sitting it looks like the Mayor might only be concerned about the cost to ratepayers where a project threatens the need for Council to invest in Emu Swamp Dam.  It’s just a thought …