Tamworth's water chief is concerned the state government will not learn its lesson from the worst drought as it drafts the new plan that govern's the city water use.
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In a blistering report that will go before councillors on Tuesday night, council water director Bruce Logan condemned the new Namoi Valley water sharing plan as "totally indefensible".
Mr Logan will tomorrow ask councillors to spend $100,000 of the city's water reserve budget to help lobby Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson and the state government to amend the plan.
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The plan - which governs the water held in Chaffey Dam - is to be submitted to the Murray Darling Basin Authority before June 30. The new water rules would last a decade, to 2030.
In his report, the Director of Water and Waste said that the new plan does not "improve the reliability and security of town water supplies".
Water plans are based on the worst ever drought, but the new management plan does not take into account the current drought, he said.
"It would seem that once the first water sharing plan has been approved, for a valley or regulated stream, then the inflow figures used at that time will apply for all subsequent plans adopted regardless of any changes including the effects of climate change, flood of record, the current drought of record," he said.
He also complained the water savings caused by the Chaffey Dam pipeline would not be used to improve the city's water security, with savings to be spread around all water users.
Tamworth is still on Level 5 water restrictions.
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"There is complete frustration the consultation process being undertaken is simply being done to tick the box that says the government must consult with stakeholders," Mr Logan said in the report.
Councilor Mark Rodda said the council should have taken a harder line on the issue last year.
"If we had as a council resolutely lobbied the state member and the water minister to secure a bit more for the Tamworth and the Moonbi-Kootingal communities, we wouldn't be in the mess we are now," he said.
Mr Rodda last year proposed TRC ask the state government to explain environmental water releases he blamed for the water shortage in 2019.
But his notice of motion failed to pass.
He said he expected Tuesday's motion to succeed and argued the state government needs to make change.
"Not to reflect what would be the worst drought in living memory is completely negligent," he said.
On Sunday, Chaffey Dam was 13.8 per cent full, according to Water NSW.
