RESIDENTS have the chance to shape future water restrictions policies during the first major review of Tamworth Regional Council’s drought management plan since 2007.
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The water supply landscape has changed dramatically in the eight years since the plan to manage water consumption during periods of drought was passed.
The $50 million expansion of Chaffey Dam, $15 million Barraba to Split Rock Dam pipeline and new bores at Nundle and Bendemeer have necessitated the review.
The drought management plan outlines the trigger points at which progressively tougher restrictions come into effect and what residents can do under those levels.
TRC water enterprises director Bruce Logan said there had been “a great deal of public comment” about water restrictions during the current drought.
He said it was now “crucial” for those people to take part in the public consultation phase of the review so their opinions could be considered.
“A lot of people have got a lot of ideas about water restrictions and what we should introduce and what we shouldn’t have in place,” Mr Logan said.
“We haven’t got any set plans about what we want to do. We want to go out into the community and ask some general questions.”
With Chaffey Dam’s storage capacity set to double upon completion of the upgrade, the 50 per cent trigger point for Level 1 restrictions in Tamworth will have to change.
But the council will also consider the merits of other conservation measures, such as odds-and-evens watering regimes, employed in other regions.
Mr Logan said the council must strike a balance between allowing residents to use water during dry times while reducing overall use. “I think the important thing for the community to remember is that water restrictions are designed to reduce our water consumption,” he said.
“Just applying or changing water restrictions to make it easier to use water would seem to be counterproductive to what the intention of water restrictions are.”
The first meeting will be held on May 6 at Tamworth Town Hall from 6.30pm, then meetings at Nundle School of Arts Hall on May 20, at the Manilla Small Town Hall on May 27 and at Moonbi Hall on June 3.
