BARRABA AND TAMWORTH WATER SUPPLIES
CHAFFEY DAM AND SPLIT ROCK DAM

Page: 16

Mr PETER DRAPER: My question is to the Minister for Water Utilities. Given the recent announcement of a new dam in the Hunter, will the Minister advise the House as to plans for other country water supplies, particularly the pipeline from Split Rock Dam to Barraba and the enhancement of Chaffey Dam?

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: I thank the honourable member for Tamworth for his question and, of course, for his ongoing interest in Chaffey Dam, the Barraba water supply, and the Split Rock Dam. These are issues that the honourable member for Tamworth has worked on for some time.

Mr Andrew Stoner: Point of order: I refer to Standing Order 140. That was a dorothy dix question. The Minister has gone straight to his briefing notes. This is supposed to be a time for questions without notice.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of The Nationals will resume his seat. He takes the same point of order every time an Independent member asks a question. If he intends to disrupt the standing orders of the House, he should try something original rather than rely on the same old tawdry point of order. The Minister for Water Utilities has the call.

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: The Leader of The Nationals does not like what is happening in Tamworth, Dubbo, Northern Tablelands, Port Macquarie. His spurious point of order was about his trying to maintain—

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of The Nationals will stop calling out.

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: It was about the Leader of The Nationals trying to maintain some semblance of relevance, because the bush knows that he will not stand up for the bush; the bush knows that people like the honourable member for Tamworth, who has long had an interest in these issues, will continue to raise them. His advocacy on issues such as this has been one of the many reasons the Government's State Plan places a high priority on preparing plans for sustainable and secure water supplies for drought affected areas.

Yesterday the Government announced a $342 million drought-proofing package for the Hunter and the Central Coast, including a $300 million, 450 billion litre dam at Tillegra on the Williams River, which will provide enough water for 60 years for current and future residents of the Hunter and the Central Coast. The shadow Minister for Water Utilities has talked this package down, and there has been absolutely no support from the Opposition for this package, which will ensure water for the Hunter and the Central Coast. Families on the Central Coast and in the Hunter will know that the Leader of the Opposition, the honourable member for Gosford and those opposite do not support this package, which is very clear from what the Leader of The Nationals said in the past 24 hours. Other components of the package include a $25 million industrial cycling plant on Kooragang Island, which will provide three billion litres a year of recycled water for heavy industry; and a water grid between Newcastle and Wyong which will provide 35 million litres a day, which is half the daily needs of the Central Coast.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Myall Lakes will come to order.

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: It will also provide new pumps on the Williams River to protect Newcastle's supply. The new package complements the Metropolitan Water Plan, which will secure Sydney's water supply until at least 2015. But the Iemma Government's commitment to secure water supplies extends beyond the major cities.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Coffs Harbour will come to order.

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: Since 1996 the Government has been investing $1 million a week in water and sewerage projects for towns across country New South Wales. A $950 million program has already delivered seven new or upgraded storage dams, 47 new water reservoirs, 78 new or upgraded sewage treatment plants, 27 new or upgraded water treatment plants, 35 new sewerage schemes, as well as upgrades to distribution networks and disinfecting and monitoring systems.

The Government will not let down New South Wales, and New South Wales will not run out of water. We will provide the drought support needed to get through what now looks like being a one-in-a-thousand-year drought. So far we are investing $16 million in the Tamworth electorate, $23 million in the Dubbo electorate, $41 million in the Port Macquarie electorate, $25 million in the Orange electorate, $26 million in the Oxley electorate and $13 million in the Northern Tablelands electorate, to name just a few.

The State Water Corporation has embarked on a major upgrade program of Chaffey Dam. Initial work to improve the safety of the dam has already been completed, but there is more to do. The dam is now only 29 per cent full. More than 50 options for upgrading Chaffey Dam have been considered by a local community reference panel, and narrowed down to two: a dam safety upgrade, or an augmentation. The Government believes that, while considering major investments in the dam to improve its safety, it makes sense to look at expanding the dam to provide better drought security for Peel Valley irrigators and support the growing population of Tamworth, which will benefit the whole regional economy.

The Government's investigations to date show that an increase in the dam wall by approximately eight metres to boost the capacity of the dam from 62 billion litres to 100 billion litres is likely to prove technically and financially feasible. This increase in capacity is estimated to cost some $13 million, on top of the $14.5 million for the dam safety upgrade. The Government expects to receive the final report very shortly, once State Water has consulted with key stakeholders. I advise the honourable member for Tamworth and the House that we will consider all options for the Split Rock to Barraba pipeline once the council submits its final options report for consideration. The report should weigh up the pros and cons of all options, not simply the council's preferred option.

[Interruption]

The honourable member for Barwon has not said a word on it in his House. He has not said one word on it.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Barwon will stop interjecting.

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: The honourable member for Tamworth has spoken on the issue here and he is not even the local member.

[Interruption]

The honourable member for Barwon has not said one single word about it in this House.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Barwon will stop interjecting. The Minister will address the Chair.

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: As always, the Government will make a responsible decision on funding, but only for the best value option, not the preferred option at any cost. Those opposite have a Peter metre; we do not have the Peter meter. I will keep the honourable member for Tamworth fully informed of developments as they occur.

Proof, NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard, 14 November 2006