The NSW government has ruled out a proposed $ 350 million dam in the north of the state, which local landlords feared would flood several properties.
Key points:
- The NSW government announced funding for a business case in late 2019
- The Mole River proposal faced widespread local opposition
- The government says it is still committed to two other regional dam projects
In 2019, the government announced that it would develop a final business case for a proposed Mole River reservoir west of Tenterfield, near the Queensland border.
But the NSW government today updated its draft regional water strategy for border rivers and removed the consideration.
“We’ve listened to community feedback, conducted rigorous research and cost-benefit analysis, and determined that the proposed Mole River Dam will not continue,” NSW Water Minister Kevin Anderson said in a statement. press release.
He said other options that would be considered include improving access to groundwater and converting general safety water licenses into high security.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution for managing water in our regions.”
Media reports suggested that the Mole River Dam would be abandoned late last year, and the Prime Minister faced several questions about the matter at a budget estimates hearing.
Nearby owners “ecstatically”
Bruce and Helen Norris moved into a newly built house on their property in Mole River less than two years ago and said the dam would have left their house 50 feet underwater.
Ms Norris said she was relieved to move on after years of uncertainty.
“We’re ecstatic, Bruce and I have been sitting here for three years without knowing what would happen,” Norris said.
Mole River landowners Bruce and Helen Norris are relieved that the dam is no longer available. (ABC North Coast: Bronwyn Herbert)
“Now we can move forward, we can put the fences we wanted to put, now we will buy the cattle that we have been postponing to buy.”
“Our lives will begin now, which is a relief.”
The Mole River dam was announced at the same time as two other regional water projects, which are in doubt following an NSW Infrastructure report.
The agency has recommended that the government reconsider the urgency of the proposed new Dungowan Dam near Tamworth and a project to lift the Wyangala Dam wall near Cowra in north-west NSW.
He argued that projects could face delays and cost bursts due to supply chain problems and labor shortages.
But Anderson said the government has not changed its commitment to the two remaining projects.
“I don’t want to deal with hypotheses and put a project in the background because someone thinks it’s going to be a problem.”
“If we went down this path, nothing would ever be built.