The Stanthorpe and Granite Belt Chamber of Commerce is ecstatic over the announcement earlier this week that the Federal Government has increased its funding commitment to Emu Swamp Dam.
“To have the Acting Prime Minister back in our town just two weeks after the Federal Election means that he has great faith in the Granite Belt’s future,” Chamber representative Stephen Tancred said.
“Considering all the towns and cities and states that are now clamouring for project support from the newly elected government this is an important sign that the Granite Belt Irrigation Project is definitely on the radar as an important nation building project.
“The Labor Party backed the project during the election campaign, proving that this is a project with strong bipartisan support, which now bodes well for the Labor State government to also commit financially to the project”.
It was also pleasing that the Southern Downs mayor spoke publically at the announcement about the council possibly being interested in also obtaining water from the dam for urban use.
“This is very encouraging as the project was planned as an urban plus irrigation dam for the past 20 years, and there is no use advancing our major industry and leaving our town water users behind,” Mr Tancred said.
Attending the announcement at the dam site at Ballandean was chamber vice-president Scott Bradburn, secretary Amanda Harrold, chair of the dam subcommittee Stephen Tancred, farming rep Tim Carnell and past-president Vic Pennisi. Current chamber president Bill James was an apology from Dalby and past-president Ian Henderson was an apology from Sydney, both engaged in business travel.
“The project could not have gotten to its current advanced state without a lot of blood, sweat and tears from these three chamber presidents,” Amanda Harrold said. “And it’s important for the business and general community to know that”.
“Although the Chamber membership is mostly from the main street, the industrial estate and tourist operators, it knows that fruit and vegetable growers are the lifeblood of the town. They are the biggest employers and the largest spenders in town. Chamber has driven the dam project not just for the growers, but on behalf of the whole Granite Belt Community,“ vice-president Scott Bradburn said.
“It’s typical of the Stanthorpe community that every sector helps each other – it makes it a good place to live and run a business in.”
Mr Tancred said it was not clear how the drought would end up, but “every resident and business operator is being affected in some way“.
“With God’s grace our community will get thru this current drought, but its only with targeted nation-building projects, led by the community and assisted by government, that the Granite Belt can help prepare for the next drought”.
