Work begins to locate a site for a $20 million Walcha water storage solution

On Tuesday senior representatives from Walcha Council and Mayor Eric Noakes met with the global engineering consultancy GHD to begin immediate work on the project.

“Following the exclusion of the Apsley River as a viable option we needed to return to our original option,” said Mr Noakes. 

The Macdonald River has been identified as the most reliable raw water source for Walcha according to Walcha Council director of engineering Dylan Reeves and GHD will begin identifying dam sites immediately.

“We hope to commence on site inspections of the shortlisted sites in February 2019, and present the findings to Council towards the end of May 2019, Mr Reeves said.

“The intended outcome of this project is to arrive at a conclusion that provides the evidence to proceed to develop a business case including concept designs and technical studies for the selected option. The project will also determine the final residential bill as a result of the new infrastructure, ensuring that this upgrade will be affordable for the township of Walcha.”

Mr Noakes said the new infrastructure could cost up to $20 million which would include a new pipeline to replace the current one.

“We as a Council are very mindful of the position that residents are in as regards current, and possible future water restrictions,” he said.  

“The situation that business owners, families and gardeners are in is definitely unacceptable, and being heavily involved in this process I find it exasperating and slow.  

“In saying this, I also understand that this process must be thorough as it is public money and what we end up with must fulfil our needs into the future.

“An ill conceived solution may only give us a short term fix, and future Councils may find themselves in an equally unenviable position.”

Mr Reeves said the conclusion of the project would put the council in a strong position to commence the process of seeking grant funding for construction of a suitable storage facility.

“It is very exciting to see this process commence,” he said.

“Council staff, GHD and councillors will be working hard to ensure a positive outcome and securing Walcha’s water security.”

With the current dry and inconsistent weather pattern and the ever-looming possibility of tighter water restrictions, Mr Noakes says Council is driving the process as hard and fast as it can.  

“There are a lot of councils in our situation,” he said.

 “We are just one in the mix to secure funding, but what differentiates our situation is that it has not only come about from the current dry times but has been an issue for a long time.  

“Through this process, we have formed close relationships with politicians, bureaucrats and lobbyists that are providing invaluable assistance, and hopefully will continue to do this as we progress through the next stages.  

“Kevin Anderson and Barnaby Joyce, who both are passionate about this project, are driving it at the higher level and facilitating meetings with their relative colleagues.”