By Jess Baker
After initially denying a request for watering of the Warwick Polocrosse Club grounds at Morgan Park “due to current water restrictions”, Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) has now agreed to supply the club with five megalitres (ML) of raw water.
The Polocrosse Club told Council officers the use of raw water from Connolly Dam would be required to prepare the grounds for an upcoming event to be held in April 2021.
Councillors discussed the request at last week’s ordinary meeting held 24 February, with councillors Marco Gliori, Cameron Gow, Cynthia McDonald, Jo McNally, Vic Pennisi and Sheryl Windle ultimately voting for Council to supply the water and councillors Ross Bartley, Andrew Gale and Stephen Tancred voting against.
Cr Gale issued a passionate plea to fellow councillors before the decision was put to a vote, asking them to consider prioritising the provision of recycled water instead of raw water.
“I cannot in the current dire circumstances that we find ourselves in, in good conscience, vote to allow the use of any water that is capable of being treated to a drinking standard to be utilised for the watering of grass,” he said.
“In fact, I would like to see us eventually have a policy where we only allow recycled water to be used for watering of grass.”
Cr Gale said he is “gravely concerned” for the residents of the region, particularly those in the Granite Belt.
“I hope it doesn’t come to it, but I fast forward to another year down the track and if we’ve had no inflows into our dams I guarantee none of us will be sleeping very well,” he said.
“I certainly know I won’t be sleeping very well, but if I vote against this at least I know I won’t be battling my conscience at the same time.
“We do need to prioritise connecting the recycled network to this facility in future subject to funding, but in the absence of that, I suggest that the Polocrosse club either find another way or do what the rest of us are doing… pray for rain.”
Cr Tancred echoed Cr Gale’s sentiments and said there were other more appropriate options available to the Polocrosse Club, including carting water from outside of Warwick.
“Imagine if we were deliberating using precious Storm King Dam water for watering ovals… it’d be a stark contrast to the decision we’re making today.”
“I don’t think we should be splashing water around on grass just in Warwick because people in Wallangarra and Killarney and certainly in Stanthorpe would question our use of this precious water,” he said.
The proposed event the Warwick Polocrosse Club requested the water for is the Barastoc Interstate Series, with teams from Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia competing.
The series will be held in conjunction with the Shell Cup Club Competition and will attract a total of 90 to 105 teams.
Councillors Gow, Gliori and Pennisi said the three-day event would provide a significant economic boost to the local economy and to Warwick’s struggling tourism sector and voted for Council to supply the water along with Crs McDonald, Windle and McNally.
