Chairman pours water on mayor's dam claim

A key proponent in the Emu Swamp Dam project has voiced his frustration after the mayor asserted she had yet to be provided a copy of the business case.

PLANNING AHEAD: LNP senate candidate Susan McDonald, Deputy PM Michael McCormack and Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud look over the Emu Swamp Dam plans. Picture: Matthew Purcell

A KEY proponent in the Emu Swamp Dam project has voiced his frustration after the mayor asserted she had yet to be provided a copy of the project's business case.

Southern Downs Mayor Tracy Dobie earlier in the week made the claim that documentation had not been provided to the council, despite requests.

But chairman of the Stanthorpe and Granite Belt Chamber of Commerce's Granite Belt Irrigation sub-committee Stephen Tancred was taken aback by her statement.

"It is disappointing the mayor has claimed that she hasn't seen the ESD business case that was recently delivered to the State Government,” Mr Tancred said.

"It is on the chamber website and has been so for nearly eight weeks and I would have thought that some senior staff of SDRC would have the capability to download and send it to her.

"In light of the Deputy Prime Minister's recent highly publicised visit to Stanthorpe to talk about the dam, it's not really credible that the mayor has to send out an appeal through the Border Post to see the dam's business case.

"I myself spoke at the Warwick Chamber of Commerce AGM a few weeks ago where the mayor was present and heard these details. I think it's all a bit too cute.”

Mr Tancred said they had gone to great lengths to make the business case easily accessible.

"The Granite Belt Chamber of Commerce has even gone as far as to let its members know where the business case can be found on their newsletters, which are also sent to council.

"Also, the mayor suggested that the plan was to take physical water from Storm King Dam and put it into Emu Swamp - this was never the case.

"It would be great if, in the middle of the biggest drought the Granite Belt has ever seen, that the council could see Emu Swamp Dam as a solution to urban water shortage for when the next drought arrives.

"I think the whole town should be extremely disappointed with the lack of vision by the council to look after its town's residents and to drought-proof into the future,” Mr Tancred said.