By Jeremy Cook
A fresh Stanthorpe and Granite Belt Chamber of Commerce executive committee will continue its long term pursuit of the contentious Emu Swamp Dam project, newly-elected president Michelle Feenan has said.
Ms Feenan was elected to the role unopposed at the chamber’s AGM last Thursday and will take over from outgoing president Graham Parker.
The Ridgemill Estate co-owner and consultant will join newly-elected vice presidents Christine Hood and Ken Waldron on the committee as well as secretary Rikki-lee Chislett, incumbent treasurer Lenell Storey and committee members Kate Lievesley, Leah Moir, Lewis Perkins, Debra Spence, Trudy Turner and Samantha Wantling.
Speaking after her election, Ms Feenan told Warwick Stanthorpe Today she felt it was in the “interest of all businesses within the Stanthorpe and Granite Belt area to get behind and support that project [Emu Swamp Dam]”.
The more than 20-year-long proposal to build a 12,000ML water storage facility on the Severn River has rarely not provoked controversy.
Its backers have argued the project is vital to desperately achieving water security for the region while opponents have instead hailed a more recent proposal to construct a pipeline from Warwick to Stanthorpe’s main water supply at Storm King Dam.
“Emu Swamp Dam has been a significant project that the chamber has been part of and advocating for, supporting in all sorts of different ways for many years,” she said.
“We see that the chamber has a role amongst a number of different industry groups to support that project.”
Ms Feenan said her priority as chamber president was to “honour the legacy of the past chamber” by overseeing completion of current projects.
Mr Parker was present at last week’s AGM to hand over the reins and award former president John Bylicki his life membership.
Ms Feenan has previously been involved with the chamber as a member and was commissioned to assist with developing the chamber’s strategic plan back in 2021 and 2022.
“It was at that time that I was quite inspired by the energy and the broad application of the chamber,” she said.
“I made my own mental note that I would like to be having a stronger role with the chamber in the future.
“Part of what I see as being a priority is to give life to that strategic plan.”
She said she wanted to “provide good leadership to see the current projects that are in play continue on and get delivered”.
Current projects included the recently relaunched shop local program, formerly known as the why leave town program, a small business knowledge program, the resurrection of the business awards and further collaborations with the Warwick Chamber of Commerce.
Ms Feenan said the small business knowledge program could help alleviate some current challenges faced by businesses in staff recruitment and retention. She said there were opportunities for “greater collaboration” across industry groups.
“There’s a lot that impacts on all of those industry groups and so there may be some opportunities for us to actually pull their resources and work together to overcome some of those,” she said.
