Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio pushes for study on Emu Creek Dam in new water report, Kerry Shine opposes

A long-discussed dam project is back on the agenda again, after a motion by Mayor Paul Antonio was endorsed by the council. But one of his colleagues said a new study would be a waste of time and money.

Wivenhoe Dam. The proposed Emu Creek Dam sits upstream from Wivenhoe. Picture: Liam Kidston

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio has put the long-discussed Emu Creek Dam project back on the agenda, in a move that has divided the council on how the region’s water security should develop.

Mr Antonio successfully moved a motion at Tuesday’s ordinary meeting around the project, asking the State Government to ensure Emu Creek was an option as part of its upcoming Regional Water Assessment report.

Emu Creek has been floated on several occasions over the past 15 years, including at the height of the Millennium Drought in 2006 when senior Nationals figures surveyed the site (right).

(FILE) At the Emu Creek site for proposed new dam are (from left) Jeff Seeney, Stuart Copeland, Mike Horan and Ray Hopper, Thursday, June 22, 2006. photo by Nev Madsen

Previous estimates put the cost of the project at $700m.

It comes after councillors Rebecca Vonhoff and Nancy Sommerfield both advocated for a new fourth dam to improve the region’s long-term water security.

“Building a new dam can often take 15 years, if not longer, so it’s crucial we do the necessary preparation now to cater for the ongoing growth of the Toowoomba region,” Mr Antonio said.

“Emu Creek Dam would give us greater water security, boosting our urban water supply, as well as be a possible water source for irrigators throughout the region.

“In addition to this, a new dam in this location would have flood mitigation benefits through the withholding of water from Wivenhoe Dam in extreme rainfall events, to the benefit of the downstream communities.”

But the main points of the motion were strongly opposed by councillor Kerry Shine, who said feasibility studies had concluded the project did not stack up financially.

“Emu Creek has been the subject of a number of studies in the past and has never passed the test,” he said.

“I’m bewildered as to why we support time and money being undertaking on yet another study into this option, especially when we already have and enjoy the recommended solution of connection to not only the Wivenhoe Dam but importantly to the southeast Queensland water grid.

“If we really feel the need for a security blanket in order to sleep well at night, we should look again at recycling our own water at a cost of about one third that of Emu Creek.”

Mr Shine also argued the council should sell all three of its dams to the State Government and join the Seqwater grid, which he said would reduce costs on ratepayers.

Several councillors, including Bill Cahill and Carol Taylor, expressed tentative support on the condition Emu Creek was owned by the State Government.

Mr Antonio will write to Water Minister Glenn Butcher on ensuring Emu Creek was in the upcoming report.