MAYOR Ron Bellingham defended Southern Downs Regional Council's decision to fork out an extra $800,000 for a study into a new Granite Belt dam, despite voting against the proposal in council chambers earlier this year.

At a public meeting in Stanthorpe on Tuesday night, Cr Bellingham said his job was to represent council as he explained the decision, which went against expert advice.

In the packed Civic Centre room, opinion was divided about the future of the Stanthorpe water supply, with many questioning the logic behind spending additional cash.

The meeting was quickly organised after the Daily News obtained confidential reports into the Emu Swamp Dam project which, if approved, would provide town water and irrigation supplies.

Cr Bellingham updated the room on the council's progress to date, justifying its decision to continue with a supplementary Environmental Impact Statement even though consultants employed by the local authority have continually warned it is unlikely to be given the state and federal tick of approval.

Consultants engaged to carry out the new report did not attend the meeting.

In 2009 the cost of Emu Swamp Dam was estimated at $77,555,000 and no commitment has been made by either the state or federal governments to fund the project.

Advocates including Cr Vic Pennisi - who gave a PowerPoint presentation on the need for the project at the meeting - say with a change of government likely, now is the time to pursue plans.

In 2008, Stanthorpe Shire Council released its first Environmental Impact Statement on the dam but the Queensland Co-ordinator-General sent the local authority off to explore further options for urban-only solutions, contributing $236,000 to a study of Petries Crossing Weir and off-stream storage.

A 2010 report suggested a pipeline from Warwick's Connolly Dam was the best option for securing Stanthorpe's future urban supply, which almost ran dry during the drought.

Because of the issue of pumping water uphill and the fact Connolly Dam was also low during the dry year, Cr Bellingham said the local authority had rejected that option.

The Connolly Dam solution would also not allow the region to take any of its extra 4500 ML of unallocated water.

The option of raising Storm King Dam was aired by a number of people at the meeting and Cr Bellingham said that suggestion had been looked into but dismissed because it would only collect more water from one catchment.

Former Stanthorpe Shire councillor Darryl Coleman said council had already wasted enough money pursuing Emu Swamp.

He asked Cr Bellingham why he voted against the decision and was told, as part of the democratic process, the mayor was representing the council decision at the meeting.

The Daily News questioned Cr Bellingham again on this topic yesterday.

"My thoughts at the time were that in 50 years of being in business if we're talking about spending $800,000-plus, I would want to be certain I'm going to get a result at the end," he said.

Water facts

• The Emu Swamp Dam project cost was estimated at $77,555,000 in 2009.
• The storage capacity of the combined urban and irrigation option would be 10,500ML.
• About 105km of pipleines would be built to deliver water to participating farmers.
• Vegetation loss of the project would include 101 hectares of endangered regional ecosystems.
• More than $800,000 of funds taken from the former Stanthorpe Shire Council were set aside and council says this money will go towards the new study.
• Stanthorpe Shire Council spent $1.768m on the original investigations.
• The alternative option for Petries Crossing, which would provide an urban only solution, has an estimated cost of $17,348,000.
• According to SDRC 99 percent of work done since amalgamation focused on Petries Crossing.
• A pipeline from Connolly Dam to Stanthorpe would cost $21,163,000 and would involve a 35km pipeline.